A century of Ford pickup trucks

According to Ford, customers in 1917 had had nearly a decade of the original Model T and were "asking for a vehicle that could haul heavier loads and provide greater utility for work and deliveries." On this day a century ago, Ford introduced the Model TT, which retained the Model T cab and engine. The Model TT came with a heavier-duty frame capable of carrying one ton of payload. The factory price was $600; 209 were sold that year. (Ford Motor Co. photo)

By 1928, Ford had sold 1.3 million Model TTs before replacing the truck with the more capable Model AA with a 1.5-ton chassis, the OEM notes. Here's a later 1935 Ford pickup owned by Greyhound. (Ford Motor Co. photo)

Ford's F-Series had just seen its inception when this 1948 Ford F-1 pickup rolled off the line. "After the war, a lot of rural Americans moved to urban and suburban centers looking for work, and many took their Ford pickups with them," said Bob Kreipke, Ford historian. "Ford saw this as an opportunity, and began work on the next generation of trucks for 1948, what came to be known as F-Series Bonus Built trucks."(Ford Motor Co. photo)

1953 saw a change from the single-digit F-Series nomenclatures to three digits, like this F-100 carried. (Ford Motor Co. photo)

A 1954 Ford F-100. More from the OEM on the changed F's: With the arrival of the second-generation F-Series for 1953, Ford increased engine power and capacity, and rebranded the series. The F-1 became the F-100, while F-2 and F-3 trucks were integrated into the new F-250 line. F-4 became F-350. Class 8 trucks were spun off into a new C-Series commercial truck unit that produced iconic C-, H-, L-, N-, T- and W-Series Ford trucks. (Ford Motor Co. photo)

"That's right, Ford's revolutionary new Twin-I-Beam suspension gives you two front axles -- two rugged I-beam axles to share the abuse of the roughest going!" reads this 1965 Ford ad. The pickups offered 240 or 300 cu. in. V6 engines or a 352 cu. in. V8, "the most powerful engines ever offered in Ford pickups!"

With the arrival of the sixth-generation F-Series in 1975, Ford dropped the F-100, replacing it with a higher-capacity F-150 pickup to combat the C/K trucks from General Motors. (Ford Motor Co. photo)

A 1993 Ford F-150 Lightning, a high-performance pickup that became the predecessor to the OEM's raucous Raptor available today. (Ford Motor Co. photo)

Ford introduced the F-Series Super Duty in 1998. "Engineered for fleet and heavy-duty work use, Super Duty -- from the F-250 all the way up to the F-750 -- more clearly defined Ford trucks for a growing base of commercial applications," according to the OEM. (Ford Motor Co. photo)

A 2004 Ford F-150. (Ford Motor Co. photo)

2008 Ford F-450 Super Duty. (Ford Motor Co. photo)

A 2010 Ford F-150 Raptor, which the automaker calls "the first off-road trophy truck from a major manufacturer" that was "Inspired by desert racing and designed specifically to meet the needs of off-road truck enthusiasts." (Ford Motor Co. photo)

For 2015, Ford outfitted the F-150 with a high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body. (Ford Motor Co. photo)

A current model 2017 Ford F-350 King Ranch. (Ford Motor Co. photo)

The 2018 Ford F-150. (Ford Motor Co. photo)