What is a flareside Ford F-150?

A flareside Ford F-150 is a historical bed configuration once offered on Ford’s light-duty pickups, notable for its outward-flaring bed sides and pronounced wheel arches. Modern F-150s use a standard flat-sided Styleside bed and do not offer a true flareside option.

Definition and historical context

The term “flareside” describes a bed style Ford used on its F-Series trucks in the mid-20th century. Unlike the later, flatter Styleside beds, the flareside design features side panels that flare outward around the rear wheel wells, giving the truck a distinctive rounded silhouette from the outside. Ford and other automakers offered competing bed styles during this era, and the flareside configuration became a recognizable hallmark of vintage pickups. Over time, Ford moved toward a single, more utilitarian bed design, and the modern F-150 (introduced in 1975) has predominantly used the Styleside bed.

Key traits of a flareside bed

Before you judge a photo or a vintage pickup’s design, note these defining characteristics of a flareside bed. This helps distinguish it from contemporary or standard beds.

• Outward-curving, flared side panels that wrap around the rear wheel arches


• A distinctive rounded exterior silhouette along the bed’s sides


• Wheel arches that are visually pronounced from the outside of the bed


• Typically associated with Ford F-Series pickups from the 1950s–1960s era


• Less common on later models as Ford standardized a flatter, rectangular Styleside bed

For collectors and restorers, the flareside bed is a telltale indicator of vintage Ford design lineage and a reminder of how trucks looked before modern, boxier bed styling became the norm.

Modern status and identification tips

Today, the flareside bed is a vintage configuration that Ford no longer offers on contemporary F-Series trucks, including the current F-150. If you encounter a Ford pickup with a true flareside bed, it is almost certainly a restored or preserved example from decades past. Enthusiasts and museums often feature these trucks as part of mid-century American automotive history.

How to identify a true flareside in photos or at a showroom

Use these cues to tell a flareside apart from a modern Styleside or other bed types.

• Look for outward-flaring bed sides that shape around visible wheel arches


• Notice a rounded or bulbous exterior along the bed’s sides, not a flat rectangle


• Wheel arches appear as pronounced bulges from the outside of the bed rather than recessed into a flat bed floor


• Historical context: the bed is usually associated with 1950s–1960s Ford F-Series trucks


• On modern models or advertisements, absence of flares and the presence of straight, boxy bed sides indicate Styleside

In practice, if you’re cataloging a Ford pickup from the classic era and you see the pronounced flare around the rear wheels, you’re likely looking at a flareside variant rather than a modern Styleside pickup.

Summary

The flareside bed is a distinctive, vintage Ford pickup feature from the mid-20th century, defined by outward-curved bed sides that flare around the rear wheel arches. It represents an era before Ford standardized the flat-sided Styleside bed that dominates today’s F-Series, including the current F-150. While rare today, flareside F-Series vehicles remain a popular subject for collectors and automotive historians who value the styling and engineering of early Ford trucks.

What was the last year of the F-150 Flareside?

The manual transmission was dropped for the first time, and the Flareside bed was continued until the end of 2009 (thus making it the very last factory stepside-style pickup truck to date). Outside of Mexico, the Lincoln Mark LT was replaced by the F-150 Platinum.

What is the difference between Ford Flareside and Stepside?

Flareside and Stepside beds were basically the default back in the 1950's and earlier. Flareside (on a Ford, or “Stepside” if you're talking Chevy) refers to those skinny beds with outward bulges around the rear wheels.

What is a flareside Ford F-150?

Ford's full-size pickup trucks come with either flareside or styleside bed designs. Flareside designs feature rounded fenders that extend outward from the truck. Meanwhile, styleside designs have a flat-sided bed with wheel arches contained within.

What is the difference between Styleside and Flareside Ford F-150?

Styleside and Flareside refer to different F-150 truck bed designs: Styleside beds are wide and flat with interior wheel wells, while Flareside beds have a narrower bed with the rear fenders on the outside, similar to a "stepside" design. Flareside beds were often a "personal truck" style with a greater emphasis on appearance, while Styleside beds prioritize cargo hauling functionality due to their wider, flat-sided design.
 
This video compares the Styleside and Flareside truck beds: 42sItsss MarkusYouTube · Mar 30, 2020
Styleside

• Appearance: Wide, flat sides with a smooth exterior. 
• Bed: Flat with interior wheel wells, which reduce some cargo space but increase the overall bed width. 
• Functionality: More practical for hauling and stacking long or wide items like sheet metal, as there are no protruding fenders inside the bed. 

Flareside

• Appearance: Features a distinct exterior fender flare and rounded rear fenders. 
• Bed: Narrower bed with the rear wheels encroaching into the bed's space. 
• Functionality: Less practical for hauling large items compared to the Styleside due to the narrower width and interior wheel wells. It was marketed more for style and leisure, appealing to buyers who prioritized looks over pure utility. 

This video explains why Styleside trucks are considered more practical: 38sHello RoadYouTube · Mar 22, 2022