F-150 and more: Evolution of America's pickup truck

Ford's first light-duty truck was a variation of the standard Model T Runabout outfitted with a 40.75-inch by 56-inch steel box with 13-inch sides, a tailgate and four stake pockets. The box replaced the "turtleback" rear deck of the standard Runabout and raised the price by $21, to $281. Ford sold more than 137,000 Runabout pickups before the Model T gave way to the Model A in 1928.

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Chevrolet got a leg up on the 4-cylinder Fords in 1929 with the introduction of its new 46-horsepower 194-cubic-inch inline 6-cylinder engine. Dubbed the "Cast-Iron Wonder" and later the "Stovebolt Six," this engine would evolve but remain the primary power in Chevy trucks until the introduction in 1955 of the overhead-valve V8. In 1930, General Motors purchased Martin-Parry Body Co. and for the first time produced a complete roadster pickup with its own steel box.

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Ford introduced the first regular-production V8 engine, known as the flathead, in its 1932 Model 18 automobile, and the engine was offered in the Model B pickup later that same year. The 221-cubic-inch V8 was rated at 50 horsepower when it went into production, and peaked at 85 horsepower when it was replaced in 1939 by the 239-cubic-inch flathead. Ford flathead V8 engines would power Ford pickups until 1954. The Model B truck was offered with either a closed steel cab or a soft-top roadster roof.

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The original Dodge Power Wagon was the Humvee of its era, and alongside the Willys Jeep introduced postwar American truck owners to the off-road performance of a rugged 4-wheel-drive system. Essentially the same M37 1-ton truck Dodge produced for the U.S. Army during World War II, the civilian Power Wagon had a torquey 230-cubic-inch 6-cylinder engine, a 4-speed transmission and 2-speed transfer case, and a 3,000-pound payload. Dodge sold this Power Wagon virtually unchanged in the United States until 1968, and exported it until 1978.

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The first new postwar truck design from Chevrolet set a new standard for aesthetic design. Its flowing lines offered good proportions and, for the first time in a U.S. pickup, the headlights were set completely into the front fenders rather than in separate housings. The new cab offered better visibility and eight more inches of hip room than the truck it replaced. The Chevrolet Advanced Design trucks would stay in production until 1955.

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Ford moved truck styling forward with its all-new 1957 F-100 line. The front end stretched the hood over the full width of the vehicle and aligned the fenders with the doors, which eliminated running boards. The optional Styleside cargo box — an idea that first appeared in fiberglass on the limited-production Chevrolet Cameo model in 1955 — carried those slab-sided lines all the way to the rear bumper. Chevrolet followed suit with its 1958 Fleetside models. Dodge grafted the tail-fin rear fenders and lights from its station wagon to create the dramatic 1957 Sweptside truck.

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The first pickups were based on a car chassis, and that idea came full circle in 1957 with the introduction of the Ford Ranchero, a "gentleman's truck" that was based on the new 2-door Ranch Wagon station wagon. Ford advertising described the Ranchero as "More Than A Car! More Than A Truck!," and it combined the smooth ride and high-performance engines of a Ford car with some of the utility of a truck. A Ranchero would remain in the Ford line until 1979, variously based on full-size, midsize and compact car models.

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The 1959 Datsun 100 was the first imported pickup, but its 37-horsepower engine could not keep pace with freeway traffic. Datsun improved its performance and by the mid-1960s the market began to catch on, with sales surpassing 50,000 in 1970. The 520 introduced styling that would stay in place for almost a decade. Toyota offered its first compact truck, the Hi-Lux, in 1969. The success of Datsun and Toyota caused Ford, GM and Chrysler to begin importing small trucks.

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Dodge introduced what today seems like an obvious feature when it added 18 inches to the cab of its D100 and D200 pickups and called it the Club Cab. The Club Cab created 34 cubic feet of storage space, accessed by flipping the bench seat forward. Dodge marketed the Club Cab to owners of slide-in campers, who could stash gear behind the seat. An optional set of jump seats were also offered. Today, club cabs dominate truck sales, and standard-cab trucks are a very small percentage of the market.

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Chevy offered pickup buyers a new level of load capacity with the addition of a dual-rear-wheel option for its C30 1-ton models, which it dubbed the "Big Dooley." Properly equipped, the Big Dooley could tow up to 12,000 pounds and had a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds, which made these trucks perfect for pulling heavy work or recreational trailers. Chevy enhanced the package with the availability of the 454-cubic-inch "big block" engine, which was rated at 355 lb-ft of torque and set a new standard in towing power.

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Sized between compact and full-size pickups, the Dakota created the midsize truck category. With a long box, the Dakota wheelbase was 124 inches, seven inches shorter than a full-size Dodge D100 model, but it could carry a 4-by-8-foot sheet of plywood with the tailgate closed. Powered by either a 2.2-liter 4-cylinder engine, or a 3.9-liter V6, the Dakota also offered better economy than a full-size truck, but with a larger cab than the imports. Today all compact trucks are the size of the Dakota.

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Towing performance is all about torque, and Dodge raised the bar when it offered the 5.9-liter Cummins diesel as an option in its D250 and D350 pickups. With a torque rating of 400 lb-ft at 1700 rpm, the 6-cylinder Cummins outmuscled the V8 diesels offered by GM and Ford, and offered the added benefits of direct injection and turbocharging. The turbo gave the Dodge diesel a "big-rig" whine on acceleration, and helped maintain engine power at higher elevations.

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Dodge injected the truck market with a dose of testosterone with the introduction of its all-new Ram models in 1994. A tall chrome grille, raised hood and separate front fenders were all meant to evoke the visage of a big-rig semi-tractor. The look that seemed in-your-face 19 years ago appears almost modest today, as all full-size trucks now feature styling so aggressive as to be almost cartoonish — a trend that started with the 1994 Dodge.

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This sport-utility truck combined the 5- or 6-passenger seating and comfort of the Chevrolet Suburban SUV with a trucklike bed. The bed was covered with folding plastic panels to secure cargo and offer weather protection. Those panels could be removed to open the bed, and the length of the bed could be expanded by folding down a midgate bulkhead that displaced the rear seats. Cadillac offered the similar Escalade EXT, also beginning in 2002. Both trucks will be discontinued following the 2013 model year.

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The first pickup truck from Honda offered a number of exclusive features, including independent rear suspension, full-time all-wheel drive, and a deep box below a hatch in the 5-foot bed. Using a reinforced unibody chassis based on the Honda Odyssey cargo van, the Ridgeline featured a comfortable cabin with four doors and seating for five. The rear seats flip up to provide cargo space on the floor.

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Unveiled at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Atlas previews styling and technology that may be offered in a future F-150. Improved fuel economy is a major concern, and the Atlas features active aerodynamic devices, including grille shutters, an air dam and front-wheel shutters, which deploy at highway speeds to reduce drag. To ease towing chores, the Atlas has an electronic system to align the hitch with a trailer, and another that will back a trailer into a parking spot with no driver input.

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