Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford F-250 Custom Cab

For decades, the Ford F-Series has been the workhorse of choice not only for Americans, but for working people all over the world. To date, the F-Series nameplate has been sold in America, Israel, France, the UAE, Mexico, and many South American countries. While each of those countries has models tailored for them, the basic principle stays the same-- a quality truck for people who need to get the job done, no matter the cost.
Starting in 1947, the Ford truck line became known as the Ford F-Series, and the legacy has continued to grow ever since. While trucks really aren't known for their beauty, over time generations of Ford's most profitable workhorse have become classic trucks, and have gained an extremely faithful following. Some folks are passionate about the first-generation F-Series (F-1, F-2 etc, while others prefer the oddly-styled 1987-1991 versions. Me, I fall in the middle; I love the 1953-1956 models, and the 1957 trucks. I also quite like the 1961 to 1966 pickups as well.















I actually quite like this truck; I love vehicles with the right amount of patina-- not too much, and not a horrible rustbucket either. Trucks like this let passersby know of the working-class life the vehicle led, and they're not shy about getting dirty. Swathed in baked blue paint that's probably not original, this F-250 clearly means business; it's a work truck with more than a dash of attitude. And could anyone expect less? With either a 292 Y-Block or a 352-cube V8, this truck is no "Mileage Maker". It obviously wasn't supposed to be a gas-miser when new, and some forty-five years after its introduction, it certainly gets worse mileage than it did new. But that doesn't matter.
Classic trucks are not supposed to be signs of tree-hugging, gas-sipping modern world vehicles; they have an attitude of their own. Patina, loud mufflers, and bad lifters all signify this. It will be driven into the ground, day after day, and it doesn't break a sweat; its an old workhorse, and it does it with style. The same cannot be said of a new F-150. New and "stylish", yes, but in forty years? I doubt people will care.