1956 Ford F-100 Ramp Jump Test 0401-1753

A red 1956 Ford F-100 caught in mid-air off a wooden ramp during a durability test, watched by engineers in white coats with six more F-100s lined up behind.

What Is in This Photograph?

A colour frame shot from above and behind the action on a wide grass field. At the left a low timber ramp sits on the grass with an engineer in a white coat standing on its lip, clipboard in hand. Just clear of it the truck is airborne, all four wheels off the ground, red with a white roof, front wheels still turned and the body level. In the lower right three more men watch, two in white coats and one in a dark suit and hat, one crouching for a better line of sight. Behind the ramp six F-100s are parked in a row in red, dark green, cream, dark green, two-tone and pale turquoise. A banked test track with more vehicles on it runs across the top of the frame.

What Was the 1956 F-100?

The final and most distinctive year of the second-generation F-Series, which ran from 1953 to 1956. The 1956 truck was a body style of its own, identified by its wraparound windscreen, on a 110-inch wheelbase at around 3,360 lb, with 163,398 built and a list price near $1,639 (Ford F100s, CJ Pony Parts). Engines ran from the 223 cubic inch Mileage Maker six up through Y-block V8s (Ford F-Series, second generation).

Why Jump a Pickup off a Ramp?

To break it on purpose, in a way that can be repeated. A ramp gives a known launch and a known landing, so frames, springs, axles and cab mounts can be compared truck to truck rather than left to whatever a rough road happens to deliver. The row of trucks waiting behind is the rest of the test programme, and the white coats and clipboards are there because the number on the page matters more than the jump.

Who Is This Print For?

This F-100 test print suits classic F-Series owners and restorers, engineering and proving ground enthusiasts, garages, offices and bars, and anyone who wants an action photograph with period colour. The airborne truck and the row of pastel pickups behind make it one of the liveliest images in the archive. Choose framed print, stretched canvas, ChromaLuxe metal or Giclée.

Photograph Details

• Vehicle: 1956 Ford F-100, red with white roof, airborne off a test ramp
• Also in frame: Six further F-100s in period colours; banked test track beyond
• Model context: 163,398 built for 1956; 110-inch wheelbase; wraparound windscreen
• Format: Colour
• Archive reference: 0401-1753

This archival photograph is made available through Fordimages.com, the official Ford archive imagery licensee operated by Richard Weedn LLC. Each image is digitally restored before printing and handcrafted to order.

Available as:

• Framed Print — museum-quality paper, archival inks, Acrylite glazing, hanging hardware included
• Stretched Canvas — hand-stretched over 1.25-inch pine bars, heavy cotton poly matte finish
• ChromaLuxe Metal Print — image infused directly onto sheets of alloy metal for maximum vibrancy and durability
• Giclée Art Print — 260gsm satin finish paper, finest archival inks, white border

Made in the USA or Europe depending on your location.

About the Artwork

Artwork in this collection comes from the Ford Motor Company Archives, The Henry Ford Museum, the Carroll Shelby Archives, and the collections of acclaimed photographers and painters from around the world. Reproduction rights are reserved by the respective copyright owners.

Our framed prints feature a black, hand-stained solid wood frame with a white mat, museum-quality paper, archival inks, Acrylite glazing, and hanging hardware. The frame features a slim 0.8-inch face and projects 1.3 inches from the wall, creating a clean, contemporary shadow-box effect. Made in the USA or Europe, depending on your location.

Our stretched canvas prints are produced on acid-free, pH-neutral, and fade-resistant canvas. Each canvas is hand-glued to solid wood stretcher bars and stretched over 1.25-inch-thick pine bars. Mounting brackets are included. Made in the USA or Europe, depending on your location.

Our Giclée prints are produced using premium 200gsm semi-gloss paper and high-quality archival inks. Each print includes a white border around the perimeter.

For the 40 x 60 size, we use 250gsm museum-quality archival paper with an off-white, uncoated finish.

The listed size refers to the overall paper dimensions. The image is printed proportionally within the selected paper size. Made in the USA or Europe, depending on your location.

ChromaLuxe prints use a state-of-the-art coating process that infuses the image directly onto sheets of alloy metal. The result is photography with an exceptional combination of vibrancy, clarity, and durability.

Each print arrives ready to hang. An alloy subframe on the back allows the artwork to float away from the wall for a sleek, modern appearance. This is the finest-quality print we offer. Made in the USA.

All images are digitally restored before printing. Production location varies by product and destination. Shipping is calculated at checkout.