1983 Ford Trucks

Ford showed even more of a commitment to improved gas mileage in 1983 when the slow-selling Mazda-built Courier truck was replaced by the Ford-built Ranger, which quickly became the most popular compact pickup in the land. Higher GVW Ford F-Series medium-duty trucks also were introduced in 1983.

Wind tunnel testing on a Ford truck to reduce drag in 1983
Wind tunnel testing on a Ford truck in 1983

In an effort to reduce drag, a Ford pickup truck undergoes wind tunnel testing. Because many customers showed increased interest in fuel economy, even trucks were tweaked for maximum efficiency.

1983 Ford Ranger pickup truck
1983 Ford Ranger

Replacing the Mazda-built Courier for 1983 was the Ford-built Ranger truck. Introduced early in the 1982 calendar year, the Ranger was nearly the same size as the Courier and also offered six- and seven-foot beds. Unlike the Courier, however, it was available not only with a regular four-cylinder engine, but also with a V-6 or four-cylinder diesel engine, and -- later in the model year -- with four-wheel drive.

1983 Ford F-350 pickup truck
1983 Ford F-350

Among F-Series pickups, only the F-350 was available in a four-door, six-passenger crew-cab body style for 1983. All 350s also came with an eight-foot bed, meaning the truck pictured above stretched more than 237 inches -- just shy of 20 feet -- bumper-to-bumper.

1983 Ford FT-8000 medium-duty truck
1983 Ford FT-8000 heavy-duty truck

New for the 1983 F-Series medium-duty line was a trio of trucks with GVW ratings that edged them into the heavy-duty range. The FT-800 and FT-900 were tandem-axle vehicles with gasoline engines; the FT-8000 (pictured above) was a tandem with a diesel engine.

The Bronco II was born in 1984, but a popular Ford truck model was discontinued. Learn more when you click to the next page.

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