In the summer of 2021, Ford introduced a new F-150, the 14th generation of the F-Series pickup truck. Curiously, through those 14 generations over nearly 75 years, it has never once occurred to Ford to use any sort of official distinction among the generations beyond first, second, third, fourth, and so on. But as the best-selling vehicle in the United States for 40 years now, the F-Series has naturally generated legions of admirers and enthusiasts who have bestowed their own more creative nicknames on most of those generations. For handy reference, we’ve rounded those up here.
Bonus Built
1948-1952: The F-Series started with Ford’s first all-new postwar trucks, which also represented Ford’s first all-new postwar vehicles. Generally considered to be the first Ford pickups that didn’t share any chassis architecture with the car line (though Ford did start to separate car and pickup architecture as early as 1942), the F-Series also introduced a reasonably easy-to-understand model name system, with F-1 for the half-tons, F-2 for the three-quarter-tons, F-3 for the heavy-duty three-quarter-tons, and so on, up to the F-8 three-ton trucks. In addition to the flathead V-8, Ford also powered these F-Series trucks with flathead straight-sixes.
Naming Convention: Despite Ford’s insistence today that it has only ever referred to these trucks as the first-generation F-Series, the company consistently advertised them as the Bonus Built trucks and even called them such on the cover of the operator’s manual. Enthusiasts have followed suit.
Price Range: According to the Hemmings Price Guide, average prices for Bonus Built F-1s fall in the low $30,000 range, with decent examples ranging from the upper teens to the lower $60,000 range. Classic.com shows recent auction prices generally in the mid-$20,000 to mid-$50,000 range.
Effies
1953-1956: As part of the company’s 50th anniversary celebrations, the F-Series got a near-complete makeover, with new “Driverized” cabs, new front sheetmetal, and a redesigned chassis with a set-back front axle that increased front overhang but also decreased the turning radius. Ford also ditched the single-digit model designations after the first generation in favor of three-digit designations, starting with F-100, then moving up to F-250, F-350, and so forth. Drivetrains initially remained the same, but this generation saw the introduction of the overhead-valve Y-block as well as the Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission.
Naming Convention: In its marketing efforts for the second-generation F-Series pickups, Ford dubbed them the “Triple Economy” trucks (referring, apparently, to more economical engines, more efficient cabs, and greater money-making potential from increased load capacities). However, enthusiasts these days seem divided on whether to call these trucks Effies or Fatfenders, with some contingents sticking to 50th Anniversary Trucks and still others holding out for Triple Economy.
Price Range: Effie/Fatfender F-100s tend to be popular with street rodders, with modified examples fetching well north of the Hemmings Price Guide average in the low $40,000 range. Indeed, we’re seeing them trade hands from the upper $20,000 to the lower $70,000 range. Classic.com reports recent sales below $50,000.
Fridge
1957-1960: Ford pickups embraced full envelope styling for the third-generation F-Series with not just a wider cab and full-width wrapover hood but also the introduction of the Styleside bed. Despite the changes to the body, the chassis remained more or less the same as the second-generation trucks with a few tweaks. Perhaps the biggest of those tweaks came in 1959, when Ford management decided to stop farming out four-wheel-drive production to Marmon-Herrington and start producing four-wheel-drive trucks in-house.
Naming Convention: Late in the generation, Ford tried a “Certified Economy” slogan, but that never stuck. We’ve seen some enthusiasts also try to call these Effies, but most Ford F-Series fans know the third-generation trucks best as the Fridge trucks, given that they have the aerodynamics of a typical refrigerator.
Price Range: Much less popular with collectors than other generations, the Fridge F-Series is also a relative bargain. Average asking prices on Hemmings.com hover in the mid-$20,000 range, though most that you’ll find tend to be restored or restomod versions in the $30,000 range or unrestored examples in the low $10,000 range. Classic.com reports recent sale prices ranging from the low teens to upper $20,000 range.
Slick Sixties
1961-1966: For the fourth-generation F-Series, Ford tried something unique: an integrated cab and bed that the company called Unibody. Part of an effort to make the pickups more car-like – and possibly to give them more of a familial appearance with the new Econoline pickup and the Ranchero – the Unibody lasted through 1963 before Ford decided to revert to separate cab and bed, reportedly due to issues with the bodies flexing while hauling heavy loads. Other attempts to make the pickups more carlike proved more successful, with the introduction of both the Twin I-beam front axle and suspension and the Ranger trim with bucket seats in 1965. Engine-wise, the latter half of the generation also saw the transition from Y-block V-8s to the FE-series 352, as well as the jump from the second-generation straight-sixes to the fourth-generation (240/300) straight-sixes.
Naming Convention: Ford and GM pickup histories tend to parallel each other, but no more so than with the naming convention for the trucks from this period. Or should we say the lack of a naming convention. We see the occasional reference to the Unibody era of Ford trucks, but that seems less than adequate given the Unibody only lasted a few years and that Ford also offered its Flareside (stepside) beds in this era. A review of sales literature doesn’t show any alternatives; nor do Ford pickup enthusiast sources offer a catchy nickname.
UPDATE: According to at least a couple of our readers, this generation is often known as the Slicks or Slick Sixties.
Price Range: The Hemmings Price Guide shows an average asking price for this generation not too dissimilar from the average asking price of the Fridge generation, but that figure bears some elaboration. Average asking prices for the first three years of the fourth-generation F-Series well outpace those for the latter three years, likely because of high demand for the Unibody versions, generally seen as the most collectible F-Series trucks of this era. On the other hand, the Flaresides and the mid-generation versions that came from the factory with the previous generation’s Styleside bed are generally less desirable and can be had for $10,000 or less. Classic.com reports recent sales ranging from the mid-teens into the $30,000 range, with a number of outliers on the upper end.
Bumpsides
1967-1972: If the nameless fourth-generation F-Series didn’t bestow upon the world its unique body configuration, it at least provided a chassis that Ford would use for many years after, starting with the fifth-generation F-Series. Engine choices expanded during this generation to include the 302, 360, and 390, while Ford added a Falcon six-cylinder option. Similarly, the number of trim levels expanded, with the first appearance of the Ranger XLT and Explorer Special badges. Factory-built crew cabs (on F-250s and F-350s) entered the picture during this generation, as did the Highboy four-wheel drive F-250.
Naming Convention: Bumpside. However else Ford might have marketed the fifth-generation F-Series, the spear down the side of the trucks proved so distinctive that the Bumpside nickname stuck.
Price Range: Plentiful on the market, Bumpsides are also relatively inexpensive, with many sub-$10,000 examples to choose from and fully restored examples going for $25,000 or less. Restomods tend to command more, depending on the amount of work involved, but even high-end examples remain bargains compared to street-rodded first- and second-generation F-Series trucks. Classic.com generally reports sales in the low teens to upper $20,000 range, though like with the Slick Sixties, restomods are commanding far more, into six-figure sums.
Dentsides
1973-1979: Still on the late fourth-generation chassis, the sixth-generation F-Series pickups added some visual bulk as well as some refinements such as optional disc brakes, galvanized sheetmetal, a gas tank outside of the cab, and bigger 351, 400, and 460 V-8s. The Bronco migrated over to the sixth-generation platform right at the end of the generation, despite initial plans to do so much earlier. Perhaps more importantly, Ford added the Super Cab extended-cab body style to compete with Dodge’s Club Cab in 1975, the same year Ford also added the F-150 model designation. This generation also saw Ford overtake Chevrolet as the best-selling truck in the United States in 1977.
Naming Convention: Similar to the fifth-generation F-Series, the sixth-generation trucks are now universally known as the Dentsides.
Price Range: While we’ve seen high asking prices of up to $40,000, averages run $20,000 all day long, and like the Bumpsides, plenty of good sub-$10,000 Dentsides exist. Expect to see plenty of lifted, big-tired examples due to the Bigfoot effect. Classic.com reports sales in the low teens to upper $20,000 range with not as many upper-end outliers as the Bumpsides.
Bullnose
1980-1986: With the first all-new chassis since 1965, Ford made a number of significant changes to the F-Series. First, the solid-axle four-wheel-drive front end gave way to the Twin Traction Beam design. Second, Ford added a 6.9L diesel V-8 developed with International Harvester for the F-250 and F-350, the first oil burner for Ford light-duty trucks. The F-100 model designation went away early in the generation, though Ford added a Blue Oval badge to the grille that has remained on full-size Ford pickups ever since.
Naming Convention: From focusing on the sides, Ford truck enthusiasts now started to direct their attention to the schnozz with the Bullnose nickname. We’ve also occasionally seen these referred to as Slantnoses, but Bullnose seems to win out on the open market.
Price Range: The Hemmings Price Guide suggests an average asking price of $15,000, and our current crop of Bullnose classifieds seems to bear that out. Yeah, these used to be dirt cheap, but sub-$5,000 examples are the exception now rather than the norm. The trucks seem to top out at $20,000 in the majority of Classic.com’s reported sales.
Bricknose
1987-1991: Though riding the same chassis and using the same cab as the Bullnose, the eighth-generation F-Series started to transition into the high-tech era with composite headlamps, an entirely fuel-injected range of engines in 1988, an optional five-speed manual transmission, and four-wheel antilock brakes, not to mention the oh-so-Nineties Nite edition. Also of note: The F-Super Duty debuted with this generation, marking the first appearance of the bigger-than-an-F-350 line of Ford not-so-light-duty pickups.
Naming Convention: Bricknose
Price Range: While these typically lagged behind Bullnoses by a couple grand, now they’re easily fetching prices in the $20,000 to $30,000 range. Classic.com’s reported sales similarly fall into that range.
Aeronose / OBS
1992-1996: Still on the Bullnose frame, still using the same basic cab, still using the same basic engine lineup, the ninth-generation F-Series offered a few new talking points beyond the improved aerodynamics. The Flareside bed returned, albeit a sculptured double-wall take on the classic stepside. The International diesel gave way to Ford’s own turbocharged Powerstroke diesel. Meanwhile, the SVT Lightning debuted in this generation, adding a performance element not previously seen in Ford’s F-Series pickups. And thanks to Ross Roberts, the ninth-generation began a steady march toward comfort, luxury, and a parking spot in suburban driveways.
Naming Convention: Continuing the nose theme, some enthusiasts call ninth-generation F-Series pickups the Aeronose generation. However, the Old Body Style (OBS) nickname – a nickname also applied to GM’s GMT400 generation of pickups by its fans – is just as much, if not more popular. Yet one more point of contention in the never-ending Ford v. Chevy wars.
Price Range: Asking prices for Aeronose/OBS F-150s seem to range from the sub-$10,000 to $20,000 range, though, of course, expect to pay more for Lightnings. Classic.com reports sales in a slightly wider range, extending up to $25,000 or so.
PN-96 / Triton
1997-2003: Everything changed for the F-Series in 1997. The F-Super Duty models, previously just an extension of the light-duty trucks, split off into their own lineup with their own unique styling and engineering. The F-150, meanwhile, received new sleek styling, a totally reengineered chassis with fully independent front suspension for both two-wheel and four-wheel-drive models, and a completely revamped lineup of modular overhead-camshaft V-8s bearing the name Triton (along with one V-6, the first in the lineup since a brief two-year run in the early 1980s). Super Cab versions got rear-hinged doors, Ford added the Crew Cab to the half-ton in 2001, the Lightning returned, the Harley-Davidson and King Ranch special editions debuted, and Lincoln even borrowed the F-Series for the first time in 2002 for the one-year-only Blackwood.
Naming Convention: Ford’s internal designation for the 10th-generation F-Series, PN-96, might be well-known among hardcore Ford enthusiasts, but we’ve also seen this generation referred to as the Triton generation.
Price Range: For a truck that’s supposed to be at the bottom of its depreciation curve right about now, the PN-96 F-150s for sale on Hemmings.com show higher average prices than the prior few generations of F-Series. Pin that on the various special editions and the Lightning, all of which float average asking prices to $20,000 or so. Regular versions abound on the used vehicle market for much less. The recent sales reported by Classic.com seem to only include Harley-Davidson editions and Lightnings and pretty steadily remain guardrailed by $20,000 on the low end and $30,000 on the high end.
P221
2004-2008: All F-Series cabs, from regular to crew size, now featured four doors, even if the tiny rear doors on the regular cabs only permitted access to the area behind the seat. A brand-new chassis featured fully boxed frame rails, though the overhead-camshaft engine lineup continued with minor changes.
Naming Convention: Internally designated P221.
Price Range: Clean versions still trade hands for anywhere from $9,000 to $20,000, though as with the PN-96s, collectible examples – which now include tuned versions from Roush and Saleen – can command upwards of $40,000. Classic.com’s recent sales report shows similar prices.
P415
2009-2014: Styling elements from the Super Duty trucks started to filter down to the F-150s in the P221 generation (as did a 6.2L V-8), but became even more pronounced in the 12th generation F-Series. For the first time in the history of the F-Series, no manual transmission was available. In addition, at the outset of the generation, nothing less than a V-8 was available, though Ford eventually added a twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 in 2011. The first Ford Raptor debuted in this generation as well, marking the switch from high-performance on-road trucks to high-performance off-road.
Naming Convention: Internally designated P415
Price Range: Asking prices on Hemmings.com generally hold at around $25,000, with Raptors commanding $40,000 to $50,000.
P552
2015-2020: The push for fuel economy ramped up with the 13th-generation F-Series. Bodies switched to aluminum to save weight while the engine lineup almost entirely flipped with no less than four gasoline V-6s, one diesel V-6, and a lone 5.0L Coyote V-8 engine option available during this generation. The Super Duty trucks that stood separate from the F-150s for the previous few generations folded back into the F-150 lineup in 2017.
Naming Convention: Internally designated P552
Price Range: Asking prices generally remain in the $30,000 to $40,000 range, though most of what you’re going to find on the collector car marketplace these days are fully loaded special editions and big-tire versions laden with aftermarket items. Raptors rapidly approaching if-you-have-to-ask-you-can’t-afford-it territory.
14th generation
2021-present: The cab and box carry over from the P552 generation, but everything else has been redesigned. The fuel-economy push continues with Ford’s first hybrid drivetrain in a light-duty truck – used to good effect in the recent Texas deep freeze – as well as the fully electric dual-motor Lightning for the 2022 model year.
Naming Convention: unknown
Price Range: MSRP starts at $31,500.
