The first pickup truck marketed in the mid-1920s

The first pickup truck marketed in the mid-1920s was the 1925 Ford Model T Runabout with Pickup Body—often referred to simply as the Ford Model T pickup. Ford’s factory-assembled, cataloged light-duty truck formalized the pickup as a consumer product, moving beyond chassis-only deliveries that required third-party bodies.

What made the 1925 Ford Model T pickup a first

Prior to 1925, U.S. automakers commonly sold bare chassis (such as Ford’s Model TT or Chevrolet’s early light-delivery frames) that customers or coachbuilders finished with bespoke cargo bodies. Ford’s 1925 Model T Runabout with Pickup Body changed that formula by offering an integrated cargo bed directly from the factory, marketed and priced as a complete vehicle a buyer could drive home the same day.

Context: Early light-truck milestones

The development of the pickup category spanned several notable steps before and after Ford’s 1925 launch. The following timeline puts the 1925 Ford Model T pickup in historical context, distinguishing factory-assembled pickups from chassis-cab deliveries.

• 1917: Ford introduces the Model TT, a 1-ton truck sold primarily as a chassis to be bodied by third parties.
• 1918: Chevrolet offers the Series 490 Light Delivery and its One-Ton chassis—again, typically sold without a factory pickup bed.
• Mid-1920s: Various makers market commercial “screenside” and delivery bodies, but most are not integrated factory pickups.
• 1925: Ford launches the Model T Runabout with Pickup Body, widely recognized as the first mass-market, factory-assembled pickup truck.
• 1928–1929: Ford expands the concept with Model A–based pickups.
• 1931: Chevrolet debuts its first factory-assembled pickup, aligning with the format Ford popularized.

Taken together, these milestones show how the industry evolved from chassis-only deliveries to fully factory-built pickups, with Ford’s 1925 Model T pickup marking the inflection point.

Why historians point to the 1925 Ford Model T pickup

Automotive historians typically credit the 1925 Ford Model T Runabout with Pickup Body as “first” under a narrow but important definition: a factory-assembled, mass-produced pickup with an integrated bed marketed directly to consumers. Here is what set it apart.

• Factory integration: The cargo bed was part of a standardized, Ford-built package—not a coachbuilt add-on.
• Mass-market availability: It appeared in Ford’s catalog and could be purchased as a complete vehicle nationwide.
• Everyday usability: It targeted small businesses, farms, and urban trades, not just commercial fleets.
• Platform lineage: It leveraged the Model T’s proven mechanicals, making it affordable and easy to service.

These attributes distinguished the 1925 Model T pickup from earlier commercial chassis and helped define the pickup as a mainstream vehicle type.

What the 1925 Ford Model T pickup offered

While modest by modern standards, the 1925 Model T pickup delivered practical capability for small-scale hauling and daily work. Key characteristics included the familiar Model T powertrain and a compact, open cargo bed designed for frequent loading and unloading.

• Powertrain: Ford’s 4-cylinder Model T engine (about 20 horsepower), with a simple, durable drivetrain.
• Layout: A runabout cab with a factory steel-and-wood pickup bed fitted behind the single row of seating.
• Use case: Light-duty hauling for farms, shops, and trades—an all-in-one solution rather than a chassis awaiting a body.
• Market impact: Demonstrated pent-up demand for a ready-made work vehicle, paving the way for later half-ton standards.

The package emphasized simplicity, reliability, and utility—qualities that quickly cemented the pickup’s role in American life.

Bottom line

The name you’re looking for is the 1925 Ford Model T Runabout with Pickup Body—the factory-built Model T pickup that brought the modern pickup concept to the mass market in the mid-1920s.

Summary

The first pickup truck marketed in the mid-1920s was Ford’s 1925 Model T Runabout with Pickup Body, a factory-assembled vehicle that standardized the pickup format for everyday buyers. Earlier trucks were typically chassis-only deliveries requiring custom bodies, but Ford’s integrated, cataloged pickup set the template that competitors—including Chevrolet in 1931—soon followed.

What is the name of the old Ford pickup truck?

Ford F-Series
Ford F-Series (first generation) The first generation of the Ford F-Series (also known as the Ford Bonus-Built trucks) is a series of trucks that was produced by Ford Motor Company from the 1948 to the 1952 model years.

What was the first truck called?

Daimler Motor-Lastwagen
The Daimler Motor-Lastwagen is the world’s first truck, manufactured in the year 1896 by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft and designed by Gottlieb Daimler.

Did they have trucks in the 1920s?

Moving into the 1920s, Ford’s truck innovation took a significant step forward with the introduction of the iconic Ford Model T truck. What set this model apart was its adaptability. Sold as a chassis, buyers could customize it to meet their unique needs, making it a versatile choice for various applications.

What was the first pickup truck called?

Ford Model T Runabout
The open back or ‘bed’ makes it easy to load and haul objects to and fro. The name “pick up” was derived from its use as a vehicle to haul and transport heavy loads. The first popular pickup truck was the Ford Model T Runabout with a pickup body. This vehicle was factory produced by Henry Ford back in 1925.