The first cab-over (COE) vehicle sold by Ford since the company sold the rights to the Ford Cargo design (in North America) to Freightliner in 1996, the LCF was developed as a Class 4/5 truck, competing in a market segment dominated by the Isuzu NPR (and its rebadged Chevrolet/GMC variants).

The first (and only) collaborative design to emerge from the joint venture, the LCF/CityStar was assembled in General Escobedo, Mexico, alongside the Ford F-650/F-750 Super Duty and International DuraStar.

As of current production, the LCF remains the final COE marketed by Ford in North America (of any size).

While the engine itself was exclusive to the two trucks, it was mated to the five-speed Torqshift (5R110W) transmission shared with the Super Duty pickup line Standard features included manual windows and steel wheels and a painted grille; for an extra cost, power windows could be added alongside a chrome grille, bumper, and wheels.

Styled similar to the Super Duty trucks, the grille of the LCF differed from its International counterpart, which featured vertical bars.