Ever wonder what's in a name? Namely, why are pickup trucks called that? The reason why pickup trucks are called 'pickups' in America takes us back to 1925 and none other than Henry Ford, who originally coined the term. Ford was said to have had his own Model T pickup, a 1912 version that had been fitted with an aftermarket cargo box. Ford used this 'pickup' on his own farm and appreciated the utility it provided.
Ford decided he would cut out the middleman when he created the 1925 Model T Roadster
with a pickup body, also known as the runabout pickup. Even though the Model T was on the verge of being replaced by the 1928 Model A, which is one of the best-looking Ford trucks ever designed, Ford was still able to sell about 135,000 of his Model T pickups to the public.
Today, pickup trucks are no longer just for farmers. The pickup truck has become much more than a working vehicle, with today's pickups featuring all of the performance, safety, fuel efficiency, and luxury of any comparable car, plus the utility, cargo capacity, and all-wheel drive capability that pickups have offered for many decades. The top five best-selling full-size pickups generated a total of 2,181,535 sales in 2024, representing 13.5% of the 16.09 million total light vehicle sales for the year.
Read more: 6 Of The Worst-Looking Fords Ever Made
What Else Should You Know About The Ford Model T Pickup?
The Ford light-duty Model T runabout pickup was introduced in April of 1925. It had a factory-installed steel pickup bed, which was 40.75 inches wide and 56 inches long. It came with four pockets for stakes (two on each side) and an adjustable tailgate. Ford sold 33,800 Model T runabout pickups during that first year of production at a base price of $281 each. An upgraded version of the Model T pickup with a starter and demountable wheels could be purchased for $345.
The specifications of the 1925 Ford light-duty Model T runabout pickup were largely the same as the other Model Ts that were produced for the 1925 model year, which ran from August 1924 to August 1925. The Model T's power came from a front-mounted, 176.6 cubic-inch, inline 4-cylinder engine producing 20 horsepower, which drove the rear wheels through a planetary gearbox with two forward speeds plus a reverse gear. A speedometer was not standard equipment. All Model Ts were painted black and had black fenders.
The Ford light-duty Model T runabout pickup set the pattern for what has become a very popular vehicle in the American market. Pickups established themselves first as work vehicles, later becoming all-purpose vehicles for work, play, or a combination of both. Today, many different types of pickups are available, offering a choice of internal combustion engines, gasoline-electric hybrid powertrains, and battery-electric propulsion.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.
