Ford F-350s for Sale

Ford?s F-Series pickup truck line was born in 1948 and is in its fourteenth generation. It has been the best-selling truck in the United States since 1977 and the best-selling vehicle since 1981.

When the F-Series was intr

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Ford?s F-Series pickup truck line was born in 1948 and...

Ford?s F-Series pickup truck line was born in 1948 and is in its fourteenth generation. It has been the best-selling truck in the United States since 1977 and the best-selling vehicle since 1981.

When the F-Series was introduced, and through the trucks? first generation, the half-ton light-duty models were called F-1, while the heavy-duty models, which featured a longer wheelbase, were called F-2 and F-3. That changed with the second generation (1953-?56), when the designations were changed to F-100, F-250 and F-350. A six-cylinder and Ford?s iconic Flathead V-8 were offered across the lineup. The F-350 also grew to include a specific, 130-inch wheelbase.

The Flathead would give way in 1954 to Ford?s new Y-block V-8, which brought more than 20 percent greater horsepower and about 10 percent more torque to the F-350. Also in 1954, the F-350 was officially categorized as a 1-ton model by Ford, whereas the ?53 model and earlier F-3 models were known as heavy-duty three-quarter-ton models despite their actual higher capacities.

Fundamental design changes with the third generation (1957-?60) included a wider, more spacious cab that eliminated the traditional exterior running boards that had been part of Ford trucks? design for more than 50 years. Additionally, the smooth-sided Styleside cargo box was offered with the conventional Flareside (step side) box and quickly became the preferred design with customers.

With the fourth generation (1961-?66), Styleside models were initially offered with a sleek-looking single, integrated cab and cargo box that has been commonly, yet technically incorrectly, called the ?unibody? design. Structural compromises with heavy loads led to the design?s elimination after the 1963 model year. The F-350 shared the basic cab design of the integrated models, but featured a separate cargo box ? and the cargo box was actually carried over from the third-generation model, so the body lines did not match between the cab and cargo box. It was deemed perfectly acceptable for the utilitarian F-350.

In 1965, Ford offered a larger, 352-cu.in. V-8 from the FE engine family and the F-350 was offered for the first time as factory four-door crew cab model. Earlier four-door trucks had been produced by second-stage coachbuilders. The crew cab model continued with the fifth-generation models (1967-?72), which also included a range of larger-displacement FE V-8 engines, including 360- and 390-inch versions, starting in 1968.

The sixth-generation F-Series modernized the F-350 inside and out, while the FE engine family was supplanted with the 385-series of V-8s, which included the 460. It would go on to be offered in the model through 1997, and the truck?s seventh, eighth and ninth generations. During the seventh generation (1982) Ford introduced the first diesel engine option in the F-350, starting a path that would lead to the introduction of the Power Stroke turbo-diesel in 1994, and a legacy of increased diesel performance and capability that includes today?s 6.7-liter Power Stroke, which churns an impressive 1,050 lb.-ft. of torque ? more than triple the output of that first diesel in 1982.

In 1999, during the F-Series? tenth generation, the F-350 and F-250 models were spun off to form the separate Super Duty lineup, which featured distinctive styling from the F-150, along with a wholly different chassis and separate powertrain options, including the overhead-cam Triton V-10 (replaced by the ?Godzilla? 7.3-liter OHV V-8 in 2020). From then on, the Super Duty trucks were redesigned and updated independently of the F-150, although they would share popular trims, including XLT, Lariat, King Ranch and, more recently, Platinum.

The current Super Duty F-350, which features an aluminum-intensive body, is in its fourth iteration, as part of the F-Series? fourteenth generation. It remains Ford?s ultimate workhorse pickup, with a maximum trailering rating of more than 35,000 pounds.

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