1958 Ford Trucks

Although the major 1958 news stories at Ford Motor Company were the introduction of the ill-fated Edsel and a more successful four-passenger replacement for the two-seat Thunderbird, 1958 Ford trucks got some changes as well.

Like their automotive counterparts, nearly all Ford trucks were restyled to accommodate quad headlights. But the big change -- literally -- was a new line of heavier-duty model trucks called Super Duty, which came equipped with new V-8 engines of up to a whopping 534 cubic inches.

1958 Ford F-Series truck
1958 Ford F-Series

Like most other vehicle manufacturers, Ford switched to quad headlights for 1958, applying them to both cars and trucks. For the F-Series trucks, that meant a restyled grille -- which they had been getting every year anyway.

1958 Ford F-Series truck interior
1958 Ford F-Series interior

By this time, interiors were beginning to show some style themselves, with contoured dashboards and car-like instrument panels.

1958 Ford Ranchero truck with quad headlights
1958 Ford Ranchero

The Ford Ranchero returned for 1958 with a whole new face, necessitated in part by the move to quad headlights. With the change came a massive, fancier grille topped by a small hood scoop. Ford advertised the Ranchero as a truck for both work and play.

1958 Ford Extra Heavy Duty truck
1958 Ford Extra Heavy Duty

Big power was the big news for Ford's 1958 Extra Heavy Duty truck line. New V-8 engines up to a whopping 534 cubic inches were offered, far outpowering the previous year's engines. These trucks' GVWs rose to as much as 36,000 lbs on the F-Series and up to 51,000 lbs on the tandem-axle T-Series.

1958 Ford Extra Heavy Duty tandem-axle truck
1958 Ford Extra Heavy Duty tandem-axle

Of more importance to tractor-trailer operators were the Ford Extra Heavy Duty trucks' Gross Combined Weight (GCW) ratings of 65,000 lbs with a single rear axle and 75,000 with a tandem axle.

The factory-made 4x4s Ford would introduce in 1959 changed the truck business significantly, and Ford hit a production milestone as the decade closed. Learn more on the next page.

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