Ford Ranchero
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ford Ranchero | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Production | 1957 - 1979 |
| Class | Mid-size |
| Body style | 2-door pickup |
| Layout | FR |
| Engine | I6 and V8 |
| Transmission | 3-speed and 4-speed manual, and automatic |
| Related | Ford Fairlane, Falcon and Torino |
| Similar | Chevrolet El Camino |
The Ford Ranchero was a car/pickup truck combination vehicle produced between 1957 and 1979 based on full-size, compact and intermediate automobiles by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market.
Though Ford car/truck combinations had been around since the time of the Model TT in 1909 through the 1940 model year and despite the fact that similar combinations called utes were (and are) extremely popular in Australia, the Ranchero was the first postwar American vehicle of its type from the factory and did well enough to spawn a competitor from General Motors in 1959, the Chevrolet El Camino.
A total of 508,355 units were produced during the model's production run.
Contents |
[edit] 1957-59
- See also 1957 Ford
Between 1957 and 1959 the Ranchero was based on the full-size Ford Fairlane platform, specifically the two-door Ranch Wagon station wagon and utilitarian Courier sedan delivery. Essentially a Courier with an open, reinforced bed, its own unique rear window and one-piece cab and cargo box, the Ranchero was initially offered in two trim levels and, throughout the model run, sold as a truck through Ford's truck division. There was a basic standard model, marketed to traditional pickup truck buyers such as farmers, and the Custom which picked up most of the options and accessories available on the Fairlane line, including stainless steel bodyside mouldings and two-tone paint. Both standard and Custom could be ordered with any engine available for the Fairlane, all the way up to the 352 in³ (5.8 L) Thunderbird Special. In Canada, the Ranchero was also available in the Meteor line-up.
[edit] 1960-66
| Second generation | |
|---|---|
| Production | 1960-1966 |
| Engine | 144 in³ Thriftmaster Six 170 in³ Thriftmaster Six 260 in³ Windsor V8 289 in³ Windsor V8 |
| Transmission | 3-speed manual 4-speed manual 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic 3-speed C4 automatic |
| Related | Ford Falcon |
In 1960 the Ranchero became much smaller, becoming based on Ford's compact Ford Falcon. Ford believed the market wanted a more practical vehicle, one much smaller, lighter and cheaper than a full-size pickup truck, and indeed the Ranchero sold well in this incarnation. The standard powerplant was an economical 144 in³ (2.4 L) straight-6 (at 30 mpg, this is as good as most modern vehicles). In 1961 the 170 in³ straight-6 was offered, and in 1963 the optional 260 in³ V-8 was offered in addition to the 144 and 170.
The Ranchero evolved along with the Falcon in 1964, becoming just a little larger along with its parent and using the same body style for 1964 and 1965. In 1965, the 289 in³ (4.7 L) V8 was offered.
1966 was a one-year model, as the Falcon evolved again; this would be the last year that the Ranchero was based on the Falcon platform.
[edit] 1967
1967 saw another radical change for the Ranchero, as Ford returned it to the now-intermediate Fairlane platform upgraded in 1966. This was a well-received and unique one-year vehicle, with clean, straight lines, dual stacked headlights, and plenty of power; engine options started with a 200 in³ (3.3 L) straight-6 and went up to a 390 in³ (6.4 L) FE-series big-block V8 giving 315 hp (235 kW). 1967 also saw the largest expansion of trim levels since the vehicle's introduction ten years prior. Supplanting the base model were the new Ranchero 500, 500/XL and GT. The GT-A Ford's one-year-only label for automatic transmission-equipped GT's given to both the Fairlane and Mustang, did not apply to the Ranchero.
[edit] 1968-1971
1968 saw the Fairlane line supplemented by the new Torino and the Ranchero followed suit, becoming the largest model since the full-sized 1959. Overall, the new Ranchero was not only bigger, but more angular than before with its more upright grille and the loss of the 1967 model's unique stacked headlights. The interior was all new as well, sharing the Torino/Fairlane's distinctive four-pod instrument cluster. Though the four round pods gave the illusion of an engine-turned dash, they instead featured warning lights for coolant temperature in the left pod and charging system and oil pressure in the pod third from the left. In upscale models, the large clock in the right pod was supplanted by a tachometer. A seat belt warning light was a new feature as well, lighting briefly in the far left pod whenever the engine was started. The model line also featured wraparound front side marker lamps which doubled as parking lights and rear side reflectors, mandated by US law for the 1968 model year and still in force today. The rear side reflectors are of particular note since the new law mandated that the markers were to light up when the headlights were switched on. Because of production issues, Ford was granted a waiver on the Fairlane/Torino/Ranchero as well as on the Mustang. The Mustang complied with the law in the all-new 1969 version; the Fairlane/Torino/Ranchero followed suit by the 1970 model year. Three trim levels were offered: The base Ranchero, the Ranchero 500 and the top-of-the line Ranchero GT. Engine choices began with the 250 cubic inch I-6 and ran to several V8 choices including the standard 302 with two-barrel carburetor, the new-for-1968 [[351 Cleveland] and the FE-based 390. The powerful 428 Cobra Jet, another FE derivative and the largest engine offered in the Ranchero to date, was a mid-year option. Like the Torino/Fairlane, the Ranchero could be had with virtually all of the same options as its cousins including air conditioning, bucket seats, AM/FM radio, optional wheels, front disc brakes, hood scoop (standard on GT) and even a vinyl top. The 1969 Ranchero saw slight cosmetic changes. Changes across the model line were in the flatter grille less the horizontal crossbar and Ford crest, relocation of GT grille badging from the crest to the lower right corner of the grille as viewed from the front, a change from black-faced instruments to silver and a new steering wheel with slimmer spokes similar to that across the Ford product line unlike the wheel with its broader "safety pad" used in the 1968 intermediates and compacts. The only change unique to the Ranchero was the relocation of the "Ranchero" script from the rear quarter panels to the front fenders.
A little-known and extremely rare offering in 1969 was the Rio Grande. Available on special order, this was essentially a GT in the so-called "Grabber" colors of "Wimbledon White", "Poppy Red" or "Calypso Coral," partially blacked-out hood with scoop, side stripes, bed rails, vinyl top and unique "Ford Ranchero Rio Grande" wheel centers. As a result, Rancheros so equipped received Ford's "SPECIAL PERFORMANCE VEHICLE" identification on the data plate regardless of engine choice. These vehicles may be identified by the aforementioned designation as well as a blank space where the trim code would normally be found. Production figures are unclear, but may have been around 900 total units.
1970 saw another face-lift for the Torino line. Both the Torino and Ranchero featured a shallow-pointed grille and front end with smooth, somewhat more curvaceous lines. Again, three models were available. Like in previous years, all Torino options could be ordered, including all-new Ram-Air 429 Cobra Jet or Super Cobra Jet engines (7 L) with a slightly different "shaker" hood scoop borrowed from the Mustang, so named because it was directly mounted to the carburetor and shook with the engine at idle. Also available was a stylish grille that featured hide-away headlights as well as an optional hood with an oversized scoop which was standard on Torino GTs. Through 1971 the Ranchero followed the changes in its parent model.
[edit] 1972-1976
1972 saw a radical change in the Torino and Ranchero lines. The sleek, pointy look of the previous year's model was replaced with a larger, heavier design. Most prominent was a wide, gaping 'fishmouth' grille and a new body-on-frame design. There were still three models available; the now-standard 500, the new Squire with simulated wood "paneling" along the flanks and the sporty GT. Engine choices remained basically the same beginning with the 250 cubic inch six-cylinder and a selection of V8s that ranged from the standard 302 to Cleveland and Windsor series 351s, plus the new-for-1972 400. The 385-series V8(429 1972-73; 460 1974-76)was still available. However, all suffered from lower compression ratios to better meet new emissions standards. The 351 in³ (5.75 L) Cleveland could still be obtained in tuned 4-V Cobra Jet form. A four-speed manual transmission was available on certain GT models.
The 1973 Ranchero saw a redesigned front-end to meet new federal standards for front impact protection. Aside from slight cosmetic differences, the Ranchero would remain basically the same until the Torino's final year, 1976.
[edit] 1977-1979
With the Torino ending production after 1976, the Ranchero needed a new platform. This was found in the somewhat unlikely guise of the Ford Thunderbird personal luxury coupe, which was undergoing a reincarnation that year also, and sharing features with that year's Ford LTD II mid-size car. The same three models available since 1968 were still offered and the Ranchero could be ordered in quite luxurious form. Engines fitted went up to the 400 in³ (6.6 L), a small-block despite its large displacement. Production ceased in 1979 with, among the traditional choices, a commemorative "1979½" model. Although the LTD II was not produced for many model years, this body style with stacked rectangular headlights is among the most popular among collectors.
Cars were getting smaller and increasing government restrictions and requirements on a car-based pickup truck made such a vehicle less and less attractive from a manufacturing standpoint. Meanwhile, purpose-designed light trucks had to meet much less stringent requirements for emissions and fuel economy. Ford saw the way the market was going and decided that small light trucks were the wave of the future, beginning with the Mazda-built Courier pickup. This vehicle would be a "stepping stone" during which time Ford would develop their homegrown replacement, the Ranger.
[edit] Today
Rancheros are reasonably collectible, though they are nowadays often overlooked in favor of the later-arriving Chevrolet El Camino, which stayed in production eight more years. Miniatures, with the exception of the 1957 model, are almost non-existent compared to the 1959-60 and 1964-65 El Camino. There are no Matchbox versions, but Johnny Lightning makes a 1964 model, Hot Wheels an adult collectible '57, Racing Champions made a 1957 Ranchero, Revell-Monogram produced a 1/25-scale model kit of the '57 in both stock and chopped-top custom versions, AMT/Ertl currently produces a diecast '57 which doubles as a bank; the same company has reintroduced a 1/25-scale model kit of the 1961 Ranchero based on the dealer promo model produced that same year. AMT was also responsible for other early dealer promotional models as well, including those of the aforementioned El Camino. Tonka produced a plastic toy version of the 1969 model in roughly 1/24 scale as part of an auto transporter set.
The idea of a car-based pickup remains an attractive one, and is an illustration of how favorable treatment for light trucks over cars by United States regulations skews the marketplace. There are many Ranchero and El Camino owners, indeed, who stopped buying new vehicles when those models were discontinued. Aftermarket conversions of the Fairmont Futura sport coupe to a Ranchero-like pickup were sold in select Ford dealers in the early- to mid-1980s. Recently there has been more interest in producing such vehicles again, including those like the Subaru Baja, essentially an Outback station wagon with a stubby pickup bed instead of an enclosed cargo area. The Baja, like the Ranchero, is titled in most American states and Canadian provinces as a commercial vehicle. The current market has tended to lean towards crew-cab four-door pickups such as the Ford Explorer Sport Trac and Honda Ridgeline.
In Australia, Ford Australia continues to produce Falcon-based pickups as does Holden with the Commodore-based Holden Ute, though no plans are in effect to import either vehicle into the US.
[edit] See also
- List of Ford vehicles
- Pickup truck
- ute
- Ford Ranchero Rio Grande, a little-known and extremely rare version of the 1969 Ford Ranchero
[edit] References and external links
- Dearborn Classics' Ranchero history page
- Bill's Classic Cars - 1967 Ranchero
- The Ranchero Fan Club
- Falconparts.com
