Historic Hauler: 1953 Ford F800 Semi Tractor – Sold?

August 1, 2022, Update – We just confirmed the listing for this “Classifind” expired, so with no replacement found we’re assuming this ride “Sold?” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

To celebrate the firm’s 119th anniversary, Ford Motor Company launched its new online Heritage Vault containing  100 years of materials kept in the automaker’s new digital archive that’s now available online for anyone to peruse. All the images and brochures from both Ford and Lincoln are open and freely available to the public and press. Ford worked with Wayne State University in Detroit to digitize the curated collection as well as offer the images to the public. The Vault spans materials from the company’s founding in 1903 to its centennial in 2003.

To give the new vault a real test, we searched for a 1953 Ford F800 to complement featuring this restored semi-truck example originally listed in June 2022 on Craigslist in Amherst, Ohio (Cleveland), as the seller only provides three pictures and the brief bullets about their truck. Sure enough, a quick search of Ford’s cool new vault yielded a copy of this 1953 F800 Truck brochure we were easily able to download and share:

The most notable deviation of the 1953 F800 featured for sale from the original brochure is the fact the seller reports their semi-truck features six-cylinder power. However, the brochure above highlights the lone engine available in 1953 as the 155 horsepower, 317 cubic inch “Cargo King” V8.  Consequently, you’ll have to confirm with the seller whether the listing is incorrect or if there is documented proof their Ford F800 left the factory equipped with a six banger.

In addition to the brochure above, the Cars & Stripes YouTube Channel features this 1953 commercial showing how Ford F800 trucks helped build the New York State Thruway in the 1950s:

The seller also claims their 1953 Ford F800 to be a “50th Anniversary Edition.” While 1953 was the company’s golden anniversary, we doubt Ford actually offered a heavy-duty truck commemorating the event.