Sunset Ford Dealer Blog

(To read the series on the history of the Ford truck from the beginning, click here for Ford Trucks: The First Generation.)

From 1953 to 1956, Ford redesigned the F-series to give it a more integrated look. While we might look back at the F-series in the early fifties and think they look like something out of the Cars movie, at the time the redesign was the height of modern technology.

In addition to a change in the exterior appearance of the trucks, the interior was overhauled with new and modern amenities. The 1953 trucks came with cigarette lighters, arm rests, dome lights and sun visors to increase the driver and passenger experience.

In 1953 Ford changed the names of the F-series to reflect what we know them to be today. The F-1 was renamed the F-100, the F-2 was changed to the F-250, and the F-3 became the now legendary one tonne F-350. Also in that year Ford released the “Ford-o-matic” automatic transmission as an option to buyers.

For drivers who needed serious hauling capacity, Ford released the “Power King” or “Big Job” in 1954. Power steering increased steering capacity by 50 percent, and drivers also had the option of adding power brakes and turning indicators — big news in 1954.

Late in the F-series second generation — in 1956 — Ford offered a few low GVWR, or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, versions of the each model, all of which are now extremely rare and a big hit with classic vehicle collectors. Production of the second generation models was also partially outsourced to Brazil to keep up with rising demand.

Looking for a new F-series truck of your own? Make sure to stop by Sunset Ford to test drive a new Ford F-150 of your own.

Would you ever fight a court battle over a noise ordinance for four years? That’s what this man did.
Four years ago, a police officer in Greater Manchester, England, cited Markus Aitken for playing his Riverdance music too loud in his Ford Mustang. The official citation was for “causing excessive noise,” not for playing Riverdance.

His fine was only £30. I’m not sure how much that equals in dollars, but it seems relatively low to me. But he felt it was unjustified, causing him to refuse to pay the fine despite the numerous written demands and several visits from court bailiffs. He continued to argue that he would not pay the fine until he was allowed the opportunity to tell his side of the story in court.

The problem occurred when he finally got his chance in court. Due to administrative costs, the fine was nine times as much as the original fine. But when he finally got a chance to tell his case in court four years later, the judge didn’t even listen to his entire story. In fact, the case was over in four minutes because the judge dismissed the fine. According to his side of the story, the judge didn’t hear anything that was against any laws or ordinances.

Let that be a lesson to you. Sometimes fighting for principle is much more important than just paying a fine and getting rid of it. Or maybe the lesson is that you shouldn’t be playing Riverdance when you’re driving Ford cars.