Family-Owned 1952 Ford F-1 Truck Spent Decades in Hiding, Shows Beautiful Patina

We rarely see early F-Series trucks get the attention they deserve.

And that's a shame, because not only these trucks are beautiful, but they also kickstarted the nameplate that became America's best-selling and most-iconic pickup.

Built from 1947 to 1952, the first-generation F-Series is the primordial workhorse. Developed in an era when automakers weren't concerned about offering creature comforts in trucks, the original F-Series is a rugged, no-nonsense hauler. And that's exactly what makes it cool as a collectors' item and a no-frills weekend drive.

And I think it's a beautiful truck design-wise. Yes, it's not as hot as the second-generation model, which features a more polished look, but I'm a sucker for V-shaped hoods with nostrils and the thick horizontal grille that Ford introduced in 1951.

As a result, I can't help but get excited whenever I see a first-gen F-1 come out of long-term storage. And the one you're about to see below, discovered by YouTube's "Sleeperdude," is a bit special too.

A final-year first-gen F-1, this truck was built in 1952 and it's a whopping 70 years old as of 2022. And that's exactly how much it spent in the same family because it's been passed down four generations since new. Amazing!

But like most classic vehicles that have remained in the family when the original owner passed away, the F-1 hasn't been driven in quite a few years. Based on the way it looks, I'm guessing it sat for decades.

However, it was stored in decent conditions with a roof over its head and it's clearly been taken care of all these years. Because while most barn finds have severe rust issues, this truck appears to be surprisingly clean. All while sporting a beautiful patina, the kind that enthusiasts would pay big sums to get done on their cars.

Not surprisingly, the truck did not run when it came out of storage so it had to be hauled on a trailer, but "Sleeperdude" got that old inline-six to fire up with a bit of work. Yup, it's not road-worthy yet and it needs a long list of repairs to get there, but how often do you see a 1950s truck running with original components under the hood?

Speaking of which, this truck rocks a 215-cubic-inch (3.5-liter) six-cylinder under the hood. I know it's not a V8, but this tiny inline-six was just as powerful as the flathead that Ford offered on the F-1 back in the day at 100 horsepower.

Yes, Ford also had a 145-horsepower flathead as early as 1948 and introduced a 155-horsepower Y-block V8 in 1952, but these mills were only available with the heavy-duty F-7 and F-8 trucks.

But that's enough history for now. Hit play to watch this amazing truck come back to life. Hopefully, we'll see it run on public roads soon.