Hi everyone, was reading some Ford truck books last night and came across two interesting references. In the “Ford Pickup Truck Enthusiast Color Series”, it says that in 1953 the Ford Motor Company adopted a new crest for it’s entire truck line, a lightning bolt superimposed over a gear. The bolt-and-gear emblem was standard on all trucks.

Also, in the “Ford Pickup Color History” it says that the restyled truck line for 1953 received an all-new crest that was similar to the emblem used on the car line, but used a distinctive gear and thunderbolt to represent the working side of the Ford family.

Both books also noted that an additional V8 insignia identified the eight-cylinder trucks. In the later years, the V8 insignia replaced the bolt-and-gear on trucks with a V8.

Interesting, so it does mean something! Guess I should have looked back a few more years. So maybe the lightning bolt symbolizes power and the gear symbolizes work, power put to work. I wonder if this is where the roots of the 427 Thunderbolt and the Ford Lightning came from.

Barry