Ford F-series

The Ford F-series is a series of full-size pickup trucks manufactured and sold by Ford Motor Company. The make of trucks has been sold continuously since 1948, with the most popular current variant being the F-150 model.

On Sanford and Son, the F-series was the faded red 1951 Ford pickup truck owned by Sanford and Son Salvage, operated by series' protagonists Fred and Lamont Sanford. The truck has base model trim, with six-cylinder engine and three-speed manual transmission. The truck is seen in the opening credits, driven by Lamont, who is presumably on a delivery run, and again in the closing credits (where Fred and Lamont are loading salvage items onto the cargo bed). The truck is seen in many episodes. Both Fred and Lamont are seen driving the truck; on occasion, Lamont's friends Rollo and Julio also get behind the wheel.

In the follow-up series Sanford, the same truck is still the primary vehicle used by Sanford and Son Salvage. The truck – again seen in the opening credits – now has an outside rearview mirror attached to the left door, which was apparently placed there between the ending of Sanford and Son and the start of Sanford.