Pickup trucks have long been the object of desire for many automotive enthusiasts, but they aren’t often thought of beautiful. But we want to change that today.
I think it might be because of their utilitarian roots that pickup trucks tend not to be thought-out design exercises. We normally talk about tow ratings and power plants when we talk pickups, instead of design cues and color combinations.
The prevalence of modified trucks, and of retro paint jobs on modern models, though, suggests that, despite pickups not getting the design analyses of supercars, enthusiasts still care about the way that these trucks look.
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Just as with any other type of vehicle, we identify design movements. There is, of course, the modern era of massive trucks, the simple and smooth trucks of the ’90s, the boxy trucks of the ’70s and ’80s, the stylized trucks of the ’60s, and that’s to say nothing of smaller stuff like the Chevy El Camino or, more recently, the Hyundai Santa Cruz.
To my eye, though, the truck that is the most classically correct, the one that plays the best with the design requirements of a pickup truck, is the fifth-generation Ford F-Series. Produced between 1966 and 1972 for the American market, the truck carefully balances its design.
Although the shape shows restraint—its simple lines describe the prototypical pickup truck shape—Ford‘s designers still allowed themselves some flourishes, like the expertly considered (and often second-tone) roof, the chrome stripe down the side, and the front fascia that leans forward, implying speed.
It’s everything I like about a pickup executed perfectly. But what do you think? What’s the best-looking (stock) pickup truck of all time? Give us your answers in the comments.
