Now for a nostalgic break:
Ford used to build lots of Heavy Duty Class 8 and Class 9 trucks. Having started building big rigs in the late nineteen-forties. They generally followed industry design trends, building lots of cabovers in the 70's and culminating with the slippery AeroMax in the 90's.
The Big Truck era ended when Ford sold the truck division to Freightliner in 1997. Freightliner would build the Ford designs for several years, badging them as Sterling trucks.
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Ford C-Series (1957 - 1990) Drawing credit: David Swift
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A true relic by the time it retired, the C-Series was produced for more than four decades. Cosmetic changes were minimal. The most noticeable change in appearance might have been the appearance of the blue oval logo in place of the
F O R D text and the old cog-and-lightning emblem.
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| Ford Aeromax (1988 - 1995) |
The Aeromax was Ford's entry into the modern era. Following Kenworth's lead, Ford focused on aerodynamics to improve fuel efficiency. The Aeromax was based on the L-Series "Louisville" trucks (not covered here)
Ford W-Series (1966 - 1977)
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Back in the day (before 1982) cabovers were necessary to comply with length limits. The STAA law did away with overall length limits, allowing conventional tractors to pull the long (53') trailers on most important highways. The W series was Fords entry for a decade before being replaced by the CL Series.
