1980 Ford F-150 pickup truck

“First new truck of the 80’s …”

For 1980, Ford’s pickup truck was nearly all-new, with a more aerodynamic body that reduced drag at highway speeds by up to 13%. There was also an increased emphasis on comfort, with increased legroom over 1979. Ford sold four versions of the full-size truck—the light-duty F-100, the F-150, the 3/4 ton F-250, and the 1-ton F-350. For this blog post, we’ll concentrate on the F-150, which was the best-selling of the four versions, and pick the more popular rear-wheel-drive example over the four-wheel-drive.

The standard engine was the 101 bhp Big Six 4.9 liter/300 ci six. A 130 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 ($315) and a 156 bhp 5.8 liter/351 ci V8 ($477) were optional. A three-speed manual transmission was standard on rear-wheel-drive F-150s, but many buyers chose the four-speed manual ($175), the four-speed manual with overdrive ($208), or the Select-Shift three-speed automatic ($408).

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the base $5,314 Custom F-150 short bed included a bright grille surround, an independent front suspension, power front disc/rear drum brakes, P215/75R15SL black sidewall tires (a size still readily available), and 15-inch wheels with argent hub caps. Inside, all vinyl seat trim, a coat hook, a dome light, and a glove box with a latch were included.

Packages

The 1980 Ford F-150 was replete with packages that ranged from making it a little nicer to reasonably luxurious.

• The $339 Ranger package added a brushed aluminum lower bodyside molding and bright hub caps on the exterior. Inside, all-vinyl or cloth and vinyl seat trim, color keyed seat belts, and a cigarette lighter were included.
• Exterior features of the $472 Ranger XLT package depended on whether the truck was Flareside or Styleside. Flareside pickups had tailgate trim with raised FORD letters in a contrasting color with a dual-colored tape stripe setting off the letters. Styleside pickups included a brushed aluminum tailgate applique with bright letters. Inside, all Ranger XLTs included grained vinyl seat trim with cloth inserts, carpeted lower door trim panels, bright aluminum door scuff plates, and color-keyed cut-pile carpeting.
• Exterior features of the top-of-the-line Ranger Lariat package ($760) included a brushed aluminum lower bodyside molding with a black vinyl insert and (of course) three Lariat plaques. Inside, all Ranger Lariats included a unique seat trim sew style in cloth and vinyl or all-vinyl, thick cut-pile carpeting, a Luxury-type steering wheel, and an instrument panel with a polished woodtone applique and a bright Ranger Lariat script.
• Free Wheeling package “A” ($407) included pinstriping, blackout grille, blackout headlamp doors, and Sport wheel covers.
• Free Wheeling package “B” ($1,266) included everything in package “A” plus foglamps, bumper guards, the Handling Package, and 10-hole aluminum wheels. Flareside pickups received a bright channel bumper, while Styleside pickups got a bright rear contour bumper. Inside, a simulated leather-wrapped steering wheel and the Sports Instrumentation Package with tachometer, trip odometer, ammeter, and oil pressure gauge.

Options & Production Numbers

Individual options were many and included tinted glass on all windows ($36), a sliding rear window ($102), variable-ratio power steering ($215), white styled steel wheels ($161), and forged aluminum wheels available either with a brushed finish ($311) or a polished finish ($361). Inside, a tilt steering wheel ($83), air conditioning ($611), and Speed Control ($160) were available. A choice of five radios ranged up to an AM/FM stereo with cassette tape ($324). Despite the luxury emphasis, power door locks and power windows were not available—they wouldn’t be offered until 1982.

Ford sold 173,050 F-150s in the 1980 model year. That number sounds like a lot, but 1980 was a bad year for the automotive industry overall and an awful year for Ford, whose US market share dropped from 23.8% in 1979 to 20.5% in 1980. Of Ford trucks, only the imported Courier compact pickup would hold the line on sales volume.

The View From 2025

Folks are collecting these seventh-generation Ford pickup trucks. F-150s often appear for sale in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer. According to Hagerty‘s valuation tools, a 1980 Ford F-150 Styleside short bed with the 302 ci V8 in #1/Concours condition is $44,300, with a more normal #3/Good condition truck going for $13,000. A long bed subtracts around 2%, while the 351 ci V8 adds about 5%. Four-wheel-drive is worth an additional 14% or so.

Make mine Candyapple Red, please. I’m unsure if I want any of the four two-tone options.

Other Ford products from 1980 that I have written about include the Ford Fiesta hatchback coupe, the Ford Mustang Cobra hatchback coupe, the Ford Thunderbird coupe, and the Lincoln Continental Mark VI coupe. I’ve also written about the 1985 Eddie Bauer Bronco SUV.