13 Of The Best Ford Truck Colors Of All Time

Choosing just 13 of the best Ford truck colors ever is a tough assignment, considering the Detroit automaker has been selling trucks since 1917, when the Model TT arrived. Had Ford followed the instructions of its founder, which stated "Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it's black," we wouldn't be having this conversation. But that directive was only in place for 11 years, and since then, Ford has sold quite a few trucks. The F-Series dates to 1948 and in 2024, more than 800,000 were sold in the US alone. Across all those decades of pickup truck sales, there have been paint colors offered in nearly every color of the rainbow. Sorting through these volumes of Blue Oval history, we've put together 13 of the best and tried to represent a full spectrum of shades. To define best, we looked to online commentary from owners, along with a touch of personal opinion.

Shades of brown can be tricky to get right when applied to a truck, due to the potential toilet-humor references. However, Ford nailed it with Bronze Fire Metallic, a shimmering color that was available on the 13th-generation F-Series. As one enthusiastic owner said, "It's a color that changes with the light. At sunset, it almost has a "cherry Coke" red color. At high noon, it has a subtle burning fire. I love the color!" The name of the paint alone is worth finding a truck with this finish, and as seen in the photo above, it looks exceptionally good with a two-tone Gold contrast stripe. This particular example is Ford's western-themed King Ranch trim line, which seems the perfect truck to feature this paint.

There's red and then there's Vermillion, one of four colors Ford offered on the O.G. Lightning, which may not be one of the fastest Ford trucks ever, but it sure is cool. A deep shade of regular red, Vermillion becomes Arrest-Me Red when applied to the first-gen Lightning. Arguably, there are few vehicles — car, truck, or otherwise — capable of pulling off a truly monochromatic vibe. By truly, we mean even the front grille receiving the color-matching treatment. But somehow it works here. The brightly colored Lightning bodyside decals might help, but the overall upright, square-jawed Lightning look definitely helps. For all you Ford truck color aficionados, please note that we're not talking about Ultra Red, which was only sold on the 1994 Lightning. A nice hue, but Vermillion is better.

Yellow is a hard color to call one of Ford's best, at least in the truck universe. Just Google "F-150 Chrome Yellow" to get a sense of why such a big vehicle doesn't lend itself to such an intense finish. But Inca Gold, on the other hand, is just right. Not only for the name, which sounds nice, but the subtlety of its goldness. In our example of an old F-100 above, Inca Gold is complemented by Colonial White. Browsing Ford brochures from the 1950s, you'll see a fair amount of two-tone paint jobs, and this particular setup somehow manages to hit that era's vibe on the head. The broad whitewalls lend a hand here as well.

Ford has mixed many shades of green paint over the years, and recently, it released Eruption Green on the Bronco and Maverick. Inspired by Mallard Green, which Ford sold on its trucks in the 1970s, the modern color is quite nice. But the original is much better. It has a deeper feel to it versus Eruption and looks absolutely killer when paired with Seapine Green, as shown in the photo above. In fairness, a '70s F-250 Ranger like this — from the era of Ford Highboys — with its forward-canted front end, long straight sides, and burly stance, would look good in almost any color. But there's no way around how right it looks painted in Mallard Green.

Technically, the '90s-tastic Nite Edition F-150 — one of the rarest Ford pickups ever made — was painted in Raven Black, which is a good-looking shade all by itself. However, the full package elevates these models into the best Ford truck colors of all time category. Namely, the fat neon body stripe that shifts from turquoise to purple as it runs front to back. Around back, a big Nite decal pulls the black-on-neon style together. It could be said that the forged deep-dish aluminum wheels and stubby regular cab lines of these Ford Aeronose trucks help the Nite Edition color scheme stand out. The 5-speed manual these trucks came standard with added no points in the looks department, but it definitely aids in the cool factor.

Magma Red Metallic is a Ford truck color that needs to be seen in person for full appreciation. At a glance, it can appear to be dark brown or even black. Up close, you can see it has a touch of deep red. In bright sunlight, the metallic flake sparkles and lends a purple hue to the paint. I would say that it looks even better when paired with the 22-inch black-finished wheels Ford sold with these F-150s. And I'm not alone, as one owner gushed, "Man I love this color!" Unfortunately, it was only offered briefly, between 2018 and 2020, so you'll have to dig deep to find one.

Not many vehicles can pull off a color like the pinkish-magenta Iris Metallic. Porsche comes to mind with its 911 and that striking Ruby Star Neo finish. Frankly, a modern Ford truck would probably just look weird in such a bright color. However, it somehow works in a '90s-era Flareside F-150, which is when this color was available. It's certainly not for everyone, but you have to give Ford credit for the bold move of painting its trucks pink. As one Blue Oval forum user summed up so well, "I have to admit, I'd like a clean Flareside with original Iris metallic paint ... a gaudy 1990s color available only on Flaresides."

Considering its Blue Oval nickname, the color blue and Ford are about as natural a pairing as you'll find in the auto industry. Over the years, there have been a veritable Pantone booklet's worth of blue hues offered on Ford trucks. So why does Blue Jeans Metallic stand out? For one, it was sold for nearly 10 years, which speaks to its popularity. This is backed up by commentary like, "One of the best all-around colors IMO." But mostly because it strikes the perfect balance between too bright — think royal blue — and an overly dark navy blue. When paired with a bit of matte aluminum trim and large wheels, like on the truck above, it lends the big F-150 an appropriate all-business demeanor.

It could be said that no vehicle better embodies the 1970s than a Ford Free Wheeling setup. Big swaths of bold colors, layered to show off a rainbow of earthy tones, set against white-painted wheels brought serious swagger. Being part of the best-looking Ford trucks ever designed club doesn't hurt. You can almost imagine these F-150s sporting a big mustache and long, shaggy hair. Ford rebooted the Free Wheeling vibe on its modern Bronco lineup, but it's not the same. For maximum effect, look to the late 1970s lineup, where you could pair this graphics package with a host of base colors, including Light Jade and Dark Cinnamon Glow. Our example above appears to be Medium Copper, and wow, does it get any better?

If Vermillion is a bit too bright for your tastes, check out Rangoon Red. Like the crustacean found in the dumpling this name brings to mind, Rangoon Red is a very deep shade with definite hints of orange. Perhaps more typically associated with the original Mustang, it nonetheless looks quite nice on Ford trucks from the same era. It was a time of Fords painted in Driftwood Gray and Caribbean Turquoise, but it's hard to beat this shade of red, at least as applied to a big F-250, like in the photo above. Some fans have gone so far as to describe Rangoon Red as "beautiful."

Forgetting for a second what the best Ford truck colors of all time are, can we pause to acknowledge how excellent the names of said colors are? Even if I didn't need or want a Ford truck, if it were finished in Green Gem Metallic, I'd at least consider it, if only to boast to onlookers about that name. But if this owner's thoughts are any indication, the color needs no boasting — "The Green Gem Metallic is gorgeous, looks almost black until you get it in the sunlight, then it gleams. I wish I could find some pictures that do it justice ..." Sign me up.

Glacier Blue is an old-timey Ford truck paint color that dates to the '50s and '60s. Like our Inca Gold example, this blue hue lends a softness to the curvy lines of an old F-100. In the photo above, you might argue that Glacier Blue is simply too much, what with the lack of a two-tone stripe and the addition of color-matching wheels. Unlike our current crop of gargantuan Ford pickups that seem to want deeper, more aggressive blue paint jobs, however, these old Fords look right with all this color. Mellow, functional, and pretty darn cool.

Speaking of big trucks, get a load of this 2025 F-150 King Ranch trimmed in Star White Metallic Tri-Coat. The band of Marsh Gray adds style and the 20" chrome rims bring presence. Would this color look as nice on a base F-150 XL? Hard to know since Ford doesn't offer it. Which is less surprising considering the extra $995 required to enjoy it. That may sound extravagant, but understand that the Tri-Coat part of the name is literal. Colors like this add an extra "mid-coat" between the two coats of paint more typically used on cars and trucks. It's designed to add sparkle and depth, which at least one owner thinks Ford has accomplished, noting, "When the sun hits it, it shimmers and looks fabulous in my opinion."