How Ford phased out the F-100 and made the F-150 king

F-150 did not replace the F-100 until 1983

The Ford F-150 was introduced in the 1975 model year, but it was not an immediate replacement for the half-ton F-100 pickup truck. The F-150 was designed with a heavier frame to comply with new emissions rules, positioned between the F-100 and the larger F-250. The two trucks were sold together for eight years.

Ford finally stopped making the F-100 in 1983, making the F-150 the official entry-level half-ton truck for the 1984 model year. In its debut year, the F-150 had a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 6,050 pounds, which was 550 pounds more than the F-100’s 5,500 pounds.

F-series sales reach 40 million units in 2022

The F-Series, which includes the F-150, boasts an impressive history of high sales, having sold over 40 million units as of January 2022. Since 1981, this truck line has been the best-selling vehicle overall in the U.S., holding the title for over 40 years.

In 2018, the F-Series line generated an estimated annual revenue of $41 billion for Ford Motor Company. Ford reported U.S. sales for 2024 increased by 4.2% to approximately 2.08 million vehicles across the brand; F-Series totals remain among the segment leaders.

F-150 dethroned as best-seller in 2024

Analyst data based on registrations show the Toyota RAV4 edging out the F-150 (light-duty) in 2024, while Ford disputes that methodology and notes the F-Series’ long-standing leadership. Total F-150 sales in 2024 were 460,915 units, which represented a 5% drop compared to sales in the previous year.

However, in the first quarter of 2025, sales of the entire F-Series lineup, including the F-150, increased by a significant 24% compared to the same period a year earlier. This increase totaled 190,389 trucks sold in the first three months of the year.

F-100 production ran for 30 years from 1953

The original half-ton Ford truck, the F-1, was renamed the F-100 for the second generation in the 1953 model year. The F-100 name was used on the entry-level half-ton truck for a period of 30 years, until its final model year in 1983.

The F-100 was part of the sixth generation of the F-Series when the F-150 was introduced in 1975. In 1959, the F-100 became the first Ford truck to be factory-built with four-wheel drive (4×4) capabilities, rather than relying on third-party companies for the feature.

F-150 offered upgraded payload and suspension

The F-150’s heavier-duty build gave it greater towing and payload capabilities than the F-100. This increase was significant because truck buyers in the 1970s began using their pickups for heavier tasks and as primary vehicles.

The F-150 featured an upgraded suspension system and a stronger frame compared to the F-100, enabling it to handle heavier loads. The higher GVWR moved many F-150s into a heavier light-truck class under 1970s rules; it did not make the F-150 a heavy-duty truck.

F-150 avoided catalytic converter requirements

The Ford F-150 was primarily designed to comply with new, stricter Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations introduced in the mid-1970s. The new rules specifically targeted the lighter truck class with a GVWR under 6,000 pounds.

By rating many F-150s above 6,000-lb GVWR, Ford positioned the truck in a class that faced less stringent and later-phased emissions rules in the mid-1970s, which helped maintain V-8 performance while regulators tightened standards on lighter trucks.

F-150 launch sold 101,875 units in 1975

The new F-150 proved popular right away, with a total of 101,875 units sold in the 1975 model year. This total was split between 80,917 Regular Cab trucks and 20,958 of the larger cab variant, showing immediate demand for the more capable model in its first year.

In the same 1975 model year, Ford sold a total of 227,054 F-100 models, which was more than double the F-150’s debut sales total. The total calendar-year production for the entire F-Series line in 1975 was 496,838 trucks, a decrease from the prior year’s production.

F-100 lost 4×4 option after 1979 model year

The popularity of the F-100 began to decline sharply in the late 1970s as more truck buyers opted for the F-150 due to its enhanced capabilities and features. After the 1979 model year, Ford stopped offering the 4×4 (four-wheel drive) option on the F-100.

From 1980 until its final year in 1983, the F-100 was only sold as a 4×2 (two-wheel drive) model, severely limiting its usefulness and appeal. This reduction in features contributed to the decision to obliterate the F-100 from the lineup after its 30 years of production under that name.

F-150 has been the top-selling truck since 1977

The Ford F-Series trucks, led by the F-150, have been the best-selling truck line in the United States since 1977. This multi-decade streak includes its dominance for more than 50 years in the Canadian market.

In 2023, F-Series total sales, which include the F-150 and larger models, reached 750,789 units, representing a 14.8 percent increase from the previous year. This confirms the massive and long-running market demand for Ford’s most crucial truck line.

F-100 started with a 226 CID engine in 1948

The very first half-ton Ford truck, the F-1, was introduced in 1948 with two engine options. The base engine was a 226 cubic-inch (CID) inline six-cylinder engine that produced 95 horsepower.

The optional engine in 1948 was a 239 CID Flathead V8, which produced 100 horsepower. In 1948, Ford’s total truck production was 105,483 units, encompassing all models from the F-1 to the F-8.

F-100 sales jumped after 1953 redesign

The second-generation F-Series, introduced in 1953 with the F-100 name, featured a completely new design for the truck. The latest, curvier styling proved highly popular, and sales of the F-100 reached over 130,000 units in its first year.

This first-year number was a significant jump from the original F-Series, which sold over 100,000 F-1 trucks in its debut year of 1948. The improved styling and stronger chassis of the F-100 set the stage for the truck’s continuous success over its 30 years of production.

F-Series sales peak was 909,330 units in 2018

The peak annual sales figure for the entire Ford F-Series line in the United States was 909,330 units in the 2018 calendar year. This historic number is one of the highest sales figures ever recorded for a single vehicle model in U.S. history.

A total of 896,764 F-Series trucks were sold in 2017, slightly lower than the following year’s record-breaking total. By the end of 2020, total F-Series sales for the year had dropped to 787,422 units, a sign of changing market trends.

1975 F-100 4×2 Regular Cab sold 173,965 units

In the 1975 model year, Ford produced and sold a total of 227,054 units of the F-100 across various cab and drivetrain combinations. The most popular version was the F-100 4×2 Regular Cab, with a total of 173,965 units sold that year.

The least popular F-100 model in 1975 was the F-100 4×2 SuperCab, with only 16,792 units produced that year. The total F-Series production in 1974 reached 529,915 trucks, which was higher than the 496,838 trucks made in the F-150’s debut year.

F-150 has been in 14 generations since 1975

The F-150 has evolved through 14 different generations since its introduction in 1975, with the current generation starting in the 2021 model year. The first factory diesel F-150 arrived for the 2018 model year (3.0-liter Power Stroke V6).

The F-100’s final generation, the seventh, also ran from 1980 to 1983, and featured a completely redesigned body style. This generation was the first to use the blue, round Ford emblem in the center of the grille, a feature that lasted only three years on the F-100.

F-100 received Y-Block V8 engine in 1954

In 1954, the F-100 was one of the first Ford vehicles to receive the new Y-Block V8 engine, replacing the Flathead V8. This new engine was an overhead valve (OHV) design, which was much more modern and powerful than the previous engine.

The Y-Block V8 engine offered up to 161 brake horsepower, approximately 30 percent more power than the peak of the older Flathead V8 engine. The F-100 model years from 1953 to 1956 are known for their style and are highly valued by many Ford truck collectors.

Want to see why collectors are buzzing about this one? Check it out in a rare Ford GT from Ford’s Heritage Fleet heads to auction for the first time.

Final F-100 assembly line was in Brazil after 1983

While the F-100 was discontinued in the United States after the 1983 model year, Ford continued to produce the truck outside of North America. Ford of Brazil continued to build the F-100 for its domestic market until 1992.

In 1997, Ford introduced the tenth generation of the F-150, which featured an entirely new, aerodynamic design. Ford spent 3 billion dollars to develop this new generation, which helped boost F-Series sales past 800,000 units in 1998.

Thinking some great Fords fly under the radar? See which ones in Ford models that deserve more attention from car buyers.

What’s your take on Ford’s big switch? Drop a comment below.

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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.