For railway car enthusiast , the seventies could best be describe as the " Forgettable Decade . " Government - mandated safety , discharge , and fuel - economy standards hit automakers – including Ford – with a triple whammy , impel them to rethink strategies that had served them well in the 1960s . " operation " became a muddy word , openhanded was no longer undecomposed , and styling was often sacrificed to safety . As a result , very few cars from the seventies charge up the senses .
Not so , however , in the world of trucks . Because many of the governance standards either did n’t apply to trucks or were n’t as exacting , these wolf of gist did n’t fall quarry to the forces that beleaguered their self-propelling brother . This might be one reason truck gain so much in popularity over the 10 .
A Modern Ford truck plant and a restyled Ranchero play up 1970 for Ford . Continue to the next varlet to learn more .
For more Ford truck information and photos, try these:
1970 Ford Trucks
Ford greet the seventies by opening a new hand truck plant near Louisville , Kentucky . Although it was officially called the Kentucky Truck Plant , it was quickly dub the " Louisville Plant " because its main claim to renown was as the point of assembly for Ford ’s new Louisville Line of trucks , also known as the L - Series .
These heavy - duty Ford motortruck substitute the short formal N - Series , along with the heavy F - Series and related tandem bicycle - axle T - Series . The Louisville Line thus embrace a wide range of models serve the medium- , heavy- , and extra - sonorous - obligation hand truck rank , and would go on to become one of the most pop serial of trucks Ford ever create .
About the only other news program for Ford in 1970 was a redesigned Ranchero , which adopted the facial expression of Ford ’s Modern midsize railway car personal line of credit , which contribute a Turin derivative . Ranchero GT got Laser Stripe side decoration , while a newfangled Squire example supervene upon that with a wood grain appliqué .
An all - new styling theme for the Ford Torino kinfolk of midsize gondola also translated into unexampled looks for the 1970 Ford Ranchero pickup hand truck . Pointed front - fender bakshis , a sharp full - distance midbody crease , and an egg crateful grille were key element of the new innovation , although hidden headlamp were an extra - cost selection .
Base , 500 , and GT Rancheros were retain from before , but the Squire – generously decked out in fake wood trim – was new to the line . A triad of 429 - three-dimensional - inch V-8s now topped the locomotive engine roster in place of 390- and 428 - Criminal Investigation Command grinder .
The gradual push toward solace and luxury in unclouded trucks attain added impulse at Ford with the arrival of Ranger XLT trimming for certain F - Series models . XLT equipment bested Ranger gear with items like a woodgrained tailboard appliqué , full - duration lower - body moldings , cloth - and - vinyl radical upholstery , carpeting , and other conveniences . This 1970 Ford F-100 Ranger XLT also sports an extra - cost vinyl radical cap covering .
The 1970 Ford F - Series Ranger with four - steering wheel campaign ride high off the flat coat . A chrome front bumper was freshly standard on Ford pickup motortruck .
A fresh litre - Line motortruck family unit replaced the Ford N- , T- , and largest F - Series hand truck models . The 1970 LNT-800 , prove here , was the clear of two gas - engine , " scant - nozzle , " bicycle-built-for-two - axle models .
In 1970 , the punishing - responsibility accelerator pedal - powered C-900 version of the Ford Tilt Cab truck was revived after 11 years .
The Ford Bronco was updated with a toilsome - duty axle in 1971 . Learn about this and other Ford hand truck changes on the next Thomas Nelson Page .
1971 Ford Trucks
Other than minor clipping updates , the 1971 Ford truck lineup was little - convert from 1970 . Ford concentrate instead on its raw subcompact Pinto and a redesign Mustang .
A group portrait of Ford ’s 1971 calorie-free - responsibility hand truck family line includes , clockwise from left , a Bronco sport - utility , a retentive - wheelbase Econoline Club Wagon , the staff of life - and - butter F - Series pickup ( here an F-250 Camper Special ) , and a sporty Ranchero GT .
Among the more satisfying improvements made in the 1971 Ford motortruck crime syndicate was the new heavy - tariff axle fit to Bronco sport - utility program fomite . The 12.7 - gallon fuel tank , first used only on 1970 models with evaporative emissions - recuperation systems , was another new across - the - board gain , and front bucket seats were standardized during the 1971 exemplar year .
The Ford LTS hand truck ’s setback front axle allowed it to carry a greater share of the total burden in addition to provide a tighter turn r .
A nicer interior was among the changes made to Ford ’s 1971 W - Series truck tractors .
The compact Courier was Ford ’s late hand truck foundation in 1972 . see more in the next part .
1972 Ford Trucks
The Ford Ranchero truck undergo another update for 1972 , but that was n’t the biggest Ford motortruck news that year . The braggart word was something small : the Courier .
Supplied by Mazda of Japan , the Ford Courier was a summary pickup truck with a four - piston chamber locomotive engine , specify to compete against the more and more popular diminished cartridge trucks from Toyota and Nissan .
Until the Ford Courier started number over from Mazda in Japan that spring , Ford ’s small and lightest truck offer for 1972 were the altogether redesign Ranchero and the carryover Bronco . Broncos with the Sport option package ( show here ) feature shiny trim inside and out , plus fancier upholstery .
All Ford Broncos also got bigger brake in 1972 . With stiffen exhaust - emission standards , the 302 - cid V-8 became the pedestal engine for California - border Broncos , although the 170 - cid six was still available there as a special - order detail .
The extremes of the 1972 1/2 - ton F-100 chain of mountains : a full - dress Ford Explorer with lots of undimmed trim and colorful upholstery …
… and an all - business entrance - level 1972 Ford Custom .
Four - bicycle - thrust Ford F-250s got a beefier Spicer front axle for 1972 .
The W - Series truck remained Ford ’s " big dog . " New Owner - Operator option groups with consolation and coming into court features were create to appeal to self-governing truckers .
Redesigns ruled for Ford in 1973 , with F - Series , W - Series , and Ranchero all receive alterations . See photograph and study more on the next page .
1973 Ford Trucks
The 1973 Ford hand truck model year brought a redesign for the Ford F - Series trucks , which include longer cab and restyled exterior body panels . Ford also took this opportunity to update the extra - heavy - duty Cab - Over - Engine ( COE ) W - Series by assault its recession to make it more aerodynamic . And Ford ’s Ranchero get a restyled front remnant , which incorporated the five - miles per hour bumper mandate that year for its self-propelling counterparts .
But perhaps the biggest tidings of 1973 did n’t come out of a Ford plant . In October of that yr , the Oil Producing Export Countries , thereafter better known as OPEC , restricted the flow of rock oil to the United States , thus triggering America ’s first energy crisis . This would end up having far - reaching effects that went well beyond simply boosting the price of gas , as it prompted the government to ordain Corporate mean Fuel Economy ( CAFE ) criterion for vehicles that remain in issue today .
Ford ’s domestically built light trucks for 1973 let in , clockwise from left , the Bronco , F-100 , and Ranchero . The Bronco carried on in much the same anatomy as it had since its 1966 unveiling , but the F-100 had an all - novel cab design and front sheetmetal , while the Ranchero featured a frontal face lift and – thanks to its passenger - railcar tie – an energy - absorb front bumper .
The 1973 Ford Ranchero GT featured a new bodyside striping design , plus white-hot - letter of the alphabet tires ( in place of whitewalls ) as stock equipment . physical structure - color racing mirrors , eminent - back bucket seats , and a 140 - horsepower 302 - three-dimensional - inch V-8 railway locomotive were other basic features of this sportiest of the three Ranchero tone arm truck models .
The raw 1973 Ford F - Series cab figure incorporated behind - the - rear end storage for incidental item .
The Ranger trim package for 1973 Ford Broncos added fancy appointments inside and out , plus an outside vacillation - away redundant - tyre mail carrier . The 200 - cubic - inch six became the Modern base powerplant for Broncos .
Medium - duty Ford F - Series models like this F-750 Stake Body shared the light - duties ' cab , but with a few detail adjustment . average - duty had their own grille and fender styling , and incorporated some revised wheelbase lengths for 1973 .
To armed combat competition , Ford introduced a SuperCab option for F - Series tone arm truck in 1974 . See photos and learn more on the next page .
1974 Ford Trucks
While most of Ford ’s focus was on a smaller new Mustang for 1974 , hand truck were not completely ignored . young for the F - Series that year was its first extended taxicab , which allowed purchaser to carry extra passengers or more cargo inside the cabriolet .
Ford responded to Dodge ’s pioneering 1973 lengthy - cab pickup truck with the SuperCab , which joined the F - Series roster in June 1974 . The 22 - inch - long extension was large enough to accommodate an optional forward - facing work bench or side - face jump seat .
Now that there were two variety , " conventional " pickup hand truck became known as regular cabriolet . F - Series styling was carried over unchanged from 1973 .
unpaid - vehicle alternatives from 1974 on one - net ton form include an Econoline E-300 Camper Special with an integral motor abode body …
… and an F-350 Super Camper Special with a obliterable camper unit .
The 1974 model twelvemonth mark the last in which the original Bronco would be offer with a six - cylinder locomotive engine .
An expanded and big Econoline series , as well as a new Ford F-150 pickup motortruck were introduced in 1975 . keep to the next varlet for more detail .
1975 Ford Trucks
It was the Ford Econoline ’s tour to shine for 1975 , run around its first redesign since raise great in 1968 . But what would turn out to be an even cock-a-hoop outcome – although it was hardly that at the fourth dimension – was the introduction of a " heavy 1/2 - ton " Ford F - Series cartridge motortruck . call the F-150 , it was intended to be a spread - filler between the F-100 and F-250 . But what it ended up being was the first of what would eventually become America ’s most popular vehicle .
A bigger , brawnier Ford Econoline family was launched for 1975 . Mounted on a separate shape for the first time ever , novel E - Series fomite were available on longer wheelbases of 124 and 138 inch . pure fomite weight rose across the board , too , which prove in novel terminology . The Ford E-100 was joined by the E-250 , E-350 , and an all - new E-150 variant .
The F - Series pickup line changed little for 1975 , with one exception : added was an F-150 model , which was intended to split the difference of opinion in payload capacity between the F-100 and F-250 . Although scarcely a major event at the time , the Ford F-150 would finally take over from the F-100 as Ford ’s base full - size pickup , and it would go on to become the best - selling vehicle in the United States .
Bronco likewise invite few changes for 1975 , though front platter brake were made available of late in the model year .
Ford catch on to the late craze by introducing Cruising Vans for 1976 . Learn more in the next discussion section .
1976 Ford Trucks
Customized vans were voguish back in the mid 1970s , and Ford decided to cash in on this youth - grocery store phenomenon by preface some mill - customized models for 1976 . Ford basically did what a private owner might do : add custom wheel and exterior laurel wreath , and upgrade the interior with fancy fanny and passementerie . Ford called these custom Econolines Cruising Vans , a very appropriate title .
On the large side of the hand truck ledger for 1976 , Ford also offered a new Louisville model called the LTL-9000 . This new premium simulation was basically a tenacious - nosed edition of the regular L - Series truck .
The first styling face lift to the 1973 - coevals Ford F - Series light - obligation trucks show up for 1976 , when a new grille and squarish headlamp bezel appeared . F-100s with four - wheel driving , like this long - bed Ranger XLT , come with a received 360 - cubic - inch V-8 engine and four - speed transmission .
The curt - wheelbase F-100 Flareside returned after a three - year foramen . A pinstripe alternative package was contribute midyear .
Four - bicycle - driving Ford F-150s were initially offered only in long - bed form ( shown ) , although a poor - bed version was added midyear .
The Mazda - work up Ford Courier got a revise grille and a three - inch - longer cab that allow for more seat travel .
The Ford L - Line grow with the plus of the LTL-9000 truck . This new linehauler , distinguished by its lengthened nozzle , came with a Cummins NTC-350 diesel motor engine and 10 - speed Fuller Roadranger transmittal as standard equipment .
After 60 years in the hauling business sector , Ford ’s F - Series became the # 1 vendor in the United States in 1977 . Continue to the next page for more details .
1977 Ford Trucks
Nineteen seventy - seven marked Ford ’s 60th yr in the trucking business , and the society made no attempt to hide that fact in advertizing . Ranchero and Courier truck were update , and garb - up packet influenced by the succeeder of the Cruising Van were offered on some other truck lines .
And at the end of the 1977 theoretical account year , Ford ’s F - Series pickup truck was christen the number - one - selling vehicle in the United States .
With the summercater - utility - fomite market shifting toward large models , the original - style Ford Bronco took its final bow in 1977 . This preserve instance has been converted to a pickup , a character not made by the factory since 1972 .
The Ford Courier got novel looks and the selection of a 2nd model with a foresightful seven - substructure cargo bed .
Although allude on only lightly in the 1977 F - Series pickup hand truck catalogue , four - steering wheel - ride models ( including the Bronco ) were draw enough interest to warrant a brochure of their own , which included this image .
A Ford F-100 " Shorty Flareside " with four - wheel driving shows off the flashy artwork and abundant accessary choices that were propose at untested buyers who want to personalize their trucks . The 117 - column inch - wheelbase Flareside featured a 61/2 - animal foot cargo layer .
The Ford F-600 , which was available with a crew cabriolet , took over at the bottom of the revise medium - obligation F - Series when the F-500 was dropped .
Ford ’s Bronco received a 1978 redesign and the W - Series was replace with the CL-9000s . Learn more about 1978 Ford trucks on the next page .
1978 Ford Trucks
The Ford Bronco underwent a major redesign in 1978 , the first since its 1966 introduction . The raw version was substantially larger , heavy , and better - outfit than its herald , and it proved more popular – by a wide margin .
This was also the twelvemonth Ford brought out a successor to the W - Series extra - dense - duty trucks . These novel Fords carried the CL-9000 designation and defend quite an improvement over the models they replaced .
Ford also celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary in 1978 and made a special banker’s bill of reaching that mark through a very successful internal sales promotion hunting expedition .
The 1978 Ford Courier succinct pickup had a new grille design that incorporated the parking lamps . The XLT version scud lots of bright trimness on the exterior and woodiness accents on the inside .
A fresh 104 - column inch - wheelbase Ford Bronco was derive from F - Series trucks . A 351 - three-dimensional - in V-8 was standard , with a 400 cid available .
The plush Ranger Lariat was the new top level of the Ford F - Series light - responsibility truck line .
This 1978 Ford F-600 bunch cab was a hard - working medium - responsibility motortruck .
The 1978 Ford CLT-9000 became Ford ’s top linehauler . The aerodynamic aluminum CL taxicab could be ordered with air give to polish out route shocks .
Ford ended the 10 with a variety of trim and conception option for its 1979 cartridge motortruck . See truck photos and read more in the next part .
1979 Ford Trucks
Ford ’s 1979 model year add a novel promotional campaign for truck : the far-famed " Built Ford Tough " slogan . It would also mark the end of the Ranchero , whose sales event had dropped off in recent yr .
But a far more historically pregnant occurrence of 1979 was our nation ’s 2nd oil crisis , again triggered by result in the Middle East . In many ways it was worse than the first , with precipitously higher gas prices being exacerbated by rationing in some areas .
A 2.0 - cubic decimeter overhead - camshaft four was installed as the novel base locomotive in the 1979 Ford Courier .
A 1979 Ford F-150 Ranger Lariat could get optional Combination Tu - Tone paint and bright box runway .
A two - wheel - drive 1979 Ford F-150 Ranger XLT Super Cab shows its distance .
Rectangular headlamp were extended to Ford F - Series Customs for 1979 . This Ford F-100 Flareside shows the Free Wheeling stripe pattern .
The 1979 Ford Bronco Ranger XLT with Free Wheeling interior decoration .
So far - get through were the issue of the rock oil crisis that it trip a serious economic recession , and would profoundly mold the design of vehicle – include Ford ’s – for many year to fall .
