Ford F-150
A new number joined Ford’s pickup family between the F-100 and the F-250.
1978 Ford F-150 Ranger — the same generation as the original 1975 F-150. · Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0
More than a set of wheels.
The F-150 arrived for 1975 as another choice within the F-Series. Ford positioned it between the lighter F-100 and the F-250. Its gross vehicle weight rating was 6,050 pounds. Ford’s archive records that Henry Ford II approved the F-150 name in November 1973, well before the first model year.
Look a little closer.
F-150 is a model name, not an engine size. The 1975 brochure offered both six-cylinder and V8 engines.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
A weight rating is not a load
Gross vehicle weight rating describes the allowed total weight of the loaded truck. It includes the truck itself, people and cargo. The 6,050-pound figure is therefore not a claim that the pickup could carry 6,050 pounds in its bed.
Source: Ford Archives · the original F-150 at fifty ↗Read the right column
The period brochure gives the F-150 its own two-wheel-drive column. Its standard engine, transmission and power brakes are listed together there. The photograph on this page shows a later 1978 F-150 Ranger with a V8; it illustrates the generation, not the exact powertrain described here.
Source: Ford Division · 1975 Pickups brochure, pages 15–16 (preserved scan) ↗Where these facts come from
- Ford Division · 1975 Pickups brochure, pages 15–16 (preserved scan)
- Ford Archives · the original F-150 at fifty
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.