100 Years Of Ford’s Greatest Tailgate Innovations

Tailgate innovations went back and forth between Ford pickups and wagons in this decade. Ford hasn’t had a traditional wagon on sale in the United States for some time, but the Falcon rose to prominence in the 1960s. In 1960, the Falcon wagon became the first Ford with a single-piece tailgate with a retractable rear window, which would later be adopted industry-wide.

A year later, the Blue Oval’s pickup tailgates were marketed as “grain-tight,” and one-handed instant-lock capability was introduced. Steel chain locks were phased out with Instant-Action latches, which also increased the width of Ford’s tailgates by 13 inches, facilitating the loading of wider items, while being easier to lock.

In 1964, the F-Series introduced husky tailgate support straps fashioned from steel. These folded into the tailgate, out of sight. Also advertised at the time was the one-handed tailgate.

In 1966, the Magic Doorgate that could open either down or to the side became standard on Ford and Fairlane wagons (optional on the Falcon). This design made it easier for kids to jump in and out or to load longer items. Three years later, the Magic Doorgate gained three-way functionality for wagons – it could be opened as a door whether or not the rear window was up or down.