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The 1965 Ford F-100 Custom Cab pickup took a civilized approach to pickups.
More style, more comfort
Ford's F-series truck lineup first appeared for 1948. Five years later, as trucks were becoming more stylish and comfortable, Ford introduced a newly redesigned F-Series line for 1953. Models in the 1948-'52 F-Series spanned from the light-duty F-1 pickup through the heavy-duty F-8 cab-over-engine tractor. During the 1953 redesign, Ford updated the truck model names to the F-100 to F-900. Ford's F-series truck line provided a wide array of hauling capacities and configurations, from a regular bed to a stake bed to just a chassis and cab for those buyers who intended to install a specially constructed cargo carrier. There was also a panel version, and available four-wheel drive on some F-series models.
The 1953 design was replaced with a new design for 1957, which in turn was replaced by yet another redesigned series for 1961. The generation of F-series that arrived in 1961 would remain in production through the 1966 model year.
In honor of Old Cars 50th year we look back at other members of the '50th Anniversary Club.'
There were more than 5,000 hopeful U.S. vehicle manufacturers around the turn of the 20th Century. By World War II, there only about two dozen left mass producing cars and pickup trucks, making the benchmark of 50 years of production rare in the automotive industry.
To recognize the historic occasion of building cars or trucks for 50 years, manufacturers often produced golden-anniversary editions. These 50th anniversary editions not only marked a company's success, they often afforded the company additional public relations in the media, as well as solidified trust in customers. (After all, if a company had been building vehicles for 50 years, it would probably be around long enough to service and support its current models.) The upcharge of an anniversary model also added some cash to the company's coffers, sometimes for the relatively small additional expense of special gold paint or trim.
The following are a selection of 50th anniversary editions of makes and models produced for car-loving Americans through the years.
The National Corvette Museum was spared and has reopened its doors days after southern Kentucky was devastated by an unprecedented tornado.
The National Corvette Museum's Facebook page stated its facilities were "spared from significant damage," in the storm, which devastated many surrounding areas in southern Kentucky.
The Museum reopened it doors for business on Monday the 13th after power was restored. The Museum stresses that would-be visitors "to only travel when safe to do so."
The story behind Dodge's forgotten "Dude" pickups.
Traveling back to the November 2004 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, we find on display the one-off Dodge Durango Dude pickup created by Chrysler Group's SkunkWerks team.
What, you ask, is Chrysler's SkunkWerks?
The SkunkWerks was a group of in-house enthusiasts brought together as part of the Chrysler's then-growing emphasis on performance, parts, accessories and customization.
For the purpose of stretching the imagination and testing consumer interest, the creative minds at the SkunkWerks reconfigured a 2004 Dodge Durango SUV into the stunning Dude pickup. This show vehicle was powered by the naturally aspirated 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 engine and was painted PPG Tangerine Pearl.
Many viewing the Durango Dude prototype at that 2004 SEMA Show, including some manufacturer representatives, did not know that the "Dude" name was used briefly on Dodge production trucks in 1970 and '71.
