Early '50s Ford pickup



The 1951-1952 Ford pickups were part of Ford's "Bonus Built" postwar trucks, which ran from 1948 through 1952. The trucks had two wheelbases: 114 inches for the 1/2-ton F-1 series, 122 inches for the 3/4-ton F-2. By the time the 1951 Ford pickup appeared, the gearshift had moved from the floor to the steering column. The 1951 Ford pickup also introduced a new front end. Gone was the smiling horizontal-bar grille and inboard headlamps, replaced by a single-bar grille with three massive "teeth." Along with a wraparound front bumper, this gave Ford trucks a more aggressive frontal appearance. This relic was found on the side of a road near Boone, N.C.
(Photo by Jim Meachen)