1948 Ford F-1 Built Tough Poster 0401-9417

A poster reading "MADE IN AMERICA" above a red 1948 Ford F-1 pickup, with "'48 FORD Bonus Built TRUCKS" and "BUILT TOUGH" printed below.

What Is in This Poster?

A strongly graphic composition in red, cream and dark brown, bordered top and bottom by rows of gold stars on blue bands. AMERICA is set in enormous red capitals across the top beneath a smaller MADE IN. The centre panel holds the truck in three-quarter front view, deep red with a five-bar grille, FORD lettering on the bonnet side, a chrome bumper, black tyres and painted wheels with small hubcaps. A man in a cap sits at the wheel with his arm on the door. The ground is bleached yellow and the sky behind is a rolling mass of sepia cloud. Below the image, "'48 FORD" and "TRUCKS" flank the Bonus Built script, and BUILT TOUGH runs across the base.

What Was the Bonus Built F-1?

The truck that started the F-Series. Ford launched its first purpose-designed postwar truck line in January 1948 under the Bonus Built name, with the half-ton F-1 at the bottom of the range. It was the only F-Series generation offered exclusively with flathead engines, a 226 cubic inch six or a 239 cubic inch V8 (Ford F-Series, first generation).

Why Read This as a Poster Rather Than a Photograph?

Because it is a designed object, not a document. The truck has been cut out and placed on an invented sky, the type is doing most of the persuading, and the star borders and colour scheme are making a patriotic argument that no period Ford factory photograph would have made so directly. Sold as a print it works as graphic design with a truck in it.

Who Is This Print For?

This Ford truck poster print suits early F-Series owners and restorers, garage and workshop interiors, Americana collectors, and bars or shops that want bold flat colour. The strong red and the heavy type hold up at very large sizes and read clearly from across a room. Choose framed print, stretched canvas, ChromaLuxe metal or Giclée.

Poster Details

• Type: Graphic poster
• Text: MADE IN AMERICA; '48 FORD Bonus Built TRUCKS; BUILT TOUGH
• Subject: 1948 Ford F-1 half-ton pickup, red
• Engines of the range: 226 cubic inch flathead six or 239 cubic inch flathead V8
• Archive reference: 0401-9417

This archival poster 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.