Few weeks ago I posted a brief gallery of vintage El Camino shots, and now it’s time for its counterpart; Ford’s Ranchero. The images cover from the 1950s to the mid-70s, more or less, and they’re a short mix. Some feature owners/users, others capture Rancheros in action, and a few are just blending in with the background.
2nd pic: that 58 looks like it’s a hard worker!
1934 – 1956 they were just called Utes.
And in 1928 we called them (integrated-body Utes) a Pontiac Express Delivery.
Were these Holden-bodied Pontiac ‘Utes’, by Aussie definition, the first?
A closer look:
Nice timing. I just bought this one. It seemed oddly bigger than it looked when I first drove it. Interestingly, I found that it is the exact same length as my 1991 Crown Victoria. Width is within a fraction of an inch.
Love the Willys photobombing in 3 and 5
Cool set of pics – you can kind of tell the Ranchero was the type of vehicle that someone who’d drive a 2wd F150 or Ranger today would buy back then. Interesting to see that big trailer hitched in the third picture; I wonder how it handled pulling that. One thing’s for sure: Rancheros lived about as varied lives as F150s do today – from legitimate farm runabouts to commuters that probably never carried anything more than a Christmas tree or a few potted plants.
I like the early Rancheros better than the later ones, almost entirely because when they transitioned to the Fairlane/Torino body in the late-60s, they either left the wheelbase too short of the rear section too long. Looking at that last picture, imagine if the rear was shorter by about a foot. I’d think it’d make the proportions work great; as it is, it’s just off, and you can’t unsee it.
One other thing I have to note: the Ranchero isn’t the counterpoint to the El Camino. Ford debuted it in ’57, and I think was as surprised as GM at the sales success – and of course GM rushed their own version into production a couple years later. I’m sure the author knows that, and is referring to the article, not the car itself, but it’s surprising how few people realize that the Ranchero came first.
Interesting that Chevy did copy the original Ranchero with the El Camino, but didn’t follow Ford when Ford changed the Ranchero to the Falcon platform. Reportedly Chevy considered a Chevy II based El Camino but dropped the idea in favor basing the El Camino off the upcoming A body Chevelle. I knew a guy that had a very original ’57 Ranchero back in the late 70’s. Always liked the early ones.
“Mid 60’s”, version was my fav.
Re photo 7:
From 40 years ago is my 1968 Falcon 500 Utility. This is the Aussie ‘XT’ model-series facelift, which retro-adopted the US ’66 Falcon grille.
As you might see it’s quite different aft of the A-pillar to Ranchero, with shorter doors from the 4-door sedan and considerably less rear overhang. There was also a small but useful parcel shelf behind the seat. And a high-roof Panel Van variant.
Hidden from view are split bumperettes to facilititate a separate drop-down compartment underneath the tray floor which housed the spare tyre. The petrol tank was relocated to one side of what would have been the footwell for rear seat passengers, under the tray but above the floorpan – a very protected location. This design on later models allowed twin long-range tanks, bisected by the driveshaft tunnel.
Mine was a column manual with the 135 hp ‘3.6 Litre’ (221 cid) which I can’t find in US model reference? A base 3.1 Litre (188) and the ‘5 Litre’ 302 2V being also available. Load capacity for 1968 was 1,456 lbs although Falcon Utes eventually grew to bear one metric tonne.
Car-based Utes were ubiquitous downunder; the amenity of a truck plus the comfort, economy and roadability of a passenger car. I really liked my XT ute and naturally enough dubbed it The Uterus, a name my wife hated.
My late father had an XT 3.6 wagon from new – for 14 years it proved close to indestructible. I later bought a very original XT V8 manual sedan, another of many great old Birds I wish to have kept.
Tim ;
That’s a great advert as it shows the beautiful truck then it launches directly into no nonsense working, ease of loading and supposedly able to handle unimproved (means unpaved) roads even whilst fully loaded .
I think the spare tire tray was a better idea than behind the seat, I always have stuff to carry there .
? Did your 221″ six banger have the intake manifold with the cylinder head ? .
-Nate
Lets try downloading the pic again..
If the photo’s not loading, try reducing the file size. If it’s no more than 1,200 pixels in the bigger dimension, it should post here.
Thank you kind Eric sir to assist me displaying my battered example.
My apologies
As a truck should be : well kept yet ready to work .
-Nate
Awkward styling of the B-pillar in several generations.
Amazing how much better the ’58 hauling the Willys looks with the custom tube grille and no center bar. I turns a very ugly front end into not bad. I’ve never understood how the stock ’58 grille made it past the styling committee……
Considering that the ’58 Edsel & ’58 Lincoln were presumably approved by the same committee, one might surmise that the ’58 Ford grill represented the committee’s high point of restrained good taste.
It’s great to see this (chronological) assortment—I’d be happy to have one of these as a “toy car” to look after.
A few adventurous members of the Edsel community have transplanted Edsel front ends on these (the ’59, I *think*)–fun to make a car that never was.
A little trivia—the model’s debut from the New York Times:
Thanks for the NYT article – that was an unusual model introduction. Ford shipped its Ranchero to a small town in south Georgia for its introduction. Like the NYT article mentions, the Ranchero was introduced at a County event honoring a young local farmer who received a national FFA award.
Ford also promised to give the farmer (Wesley Patrick) the first production Ranchero – and indeed they had it shipped to the local Ford dealer as soon as production began. But Mr. Patrick evidently needed a family car more than a car/truck, so he swapped it for a Fairlane – an indication that there wasn’t too much of a market for what the Ranchero offered.
I still think the Maverick should’ve been called Ranchero. It’s exactly what the Falcon-derived 1960 would’ve evolved into if it hadn’t been sidetracked into muscle in the later ’60s and then “built for the man in charge” personal luxury in the ’70s.
In 1979 I bought a well used ’73 Ranchero off the back row of our local Ford dealer. It was pretty basic with a 302 and 3 speed on the column with no AC or power options. It did have a pretty nice new paint job and Magnum 500 wheels. I put on air shocks and fat tires as was popular at the time and added a stereo. Later I installed a Hurst shifter. I wanted that kind of street machine vibe for my daily driver and hauler. I used it to haul firewood and pull my 24 foot camper along with hauling things for work. I really loved that truck and it served me well for the 3 years I owned it. Finally the engine developed a noise and I decided to sell it and upgrade to something with AC. I sold it and then bought a ’75 El Camino SS off the back row of the local Chevy dealer and fixed it up and put a lot of miles on that one too due to a job change. But that’s another story. I loved both of them and would love to have either one back today.
No matter how you slice it, they’re darned good looking rigs .
I had a royal blue ’57 with thunderbird engine and 4BBL carby, it drank gas like a drunken sailor and went like stink .
Then there was a ’58 for a *very* short time, also a good solid working truck that looked great everywhere it went .
I always wanted a Falcon Ranchero, first version, now I’m sure they’re all WAY out of my price range .
Please keep the pictures coming ! I can see myself in that first picture except that old man is skinny .
-Nate
Mighty impressive assemblage of a long forgotten model. Before its demise, wondered if the Dearborn’s product wizards ever considered an Edsel Ranchero? Nah, too many years before the Escalade spectacle.