In Canada, the Ranchero was also available in the Meteor line-up. Both standard and Custom could be ordered with any engine available for Ford cars, all the way up to the 312 cu in (5.1 L) "Thunderbird Special". In fact, the Ranchero had a marginally higher cargo capacity by about 50 lb (23 kg) than the half-ton F-Series pickup. Indeed, print advertising of the time played on the theme of the American Southwest that the Spanish model name and Longhorn symbol were meant to evoke, showing artistic representations of the vehicle being used in ranching and outdoor activities, proclaiming it as "More Than A Car! More Than A Truck!" The Ranchero was a hit with both the automotive press and the buying public, filling an untapped market niche for vehicles with the utility of a light pickup and the ease of operation and riding characteristics of a car. Upscale models were badged both as a Fairlane and Ranchero, with a stylized representation of a Longhorn as the symbol for the model located on the tailgate.
An extremely basic standard model was marketed to traditional pickup truck buyers such as farmers, and the Custom picked up most of the options and accessories available on the Fairlane line, including stainless steel bodyside mouldings and two-tone paint.
Essentially a Courier with an open, reinforced bed, its own unique rear window and integrated cab and cargo box, the Ranchero was initially offered in two trim levels, and throughout the model run, was built on the corresponding automobile assembly line, but sold as a truck through Ford's truck division. Introduced in December 1956, three months after the traditional September model year start-up, the Ranchero was based on the standard and new-for-1957 full-sized Ford platform, specifically the short-wheelbase Custom sedan, two-door Ranch Wagon station wagon, and utilitarian Courier sedan delivery. It combined the sleek looks of a sedan with the utility of a light-duty pickup truck. The Ranchero was the first postwar American vehicle of its type adapted from a popular sedan from the factory. In North America, pickup trucks evolved into a heavier duty form with cabs and beds that were quite distinct from passenger automobiles. This created the coupe utility which remains a popular body style known as the "ute" in Australia. In 1934, Ford Australia's designer Lew Bandt modified a coupe with a smoothly integrated loadbed that could be used like a car to drive to church or to deliver pigs to market. The first Ford Model T and Model A pickup trucks were created from roadsters by placing a pickup box behind the body of a car.
The original Ranchero sold well enough to spawn a competitor from General Motors in 1959, the Chevrolet El Camino. In Argentina, a utility version of the locally produced Ford Falcon was also called Ranchero. Shipped from Australia in complete knock down (CKD) form, these vehicles were assembled in South Africa at Ford's plant in Port Elizabeth. Over its lifespan it was variously derived from full-sized, compact, and intermediate automobiles sold by Ford for the North American market.ĭuring the 1970s, the Ranchero name was used in the South African market for a rebadged Australian Ford Falcon utility. A total of 508,355 units were produced during the model's production run. Unlike a standard pickup truck, the Ranchero was adapted from a two-door station wagon platform that integrated the cab and cargo bed into the body. The Ford Ranchero is a coupe utility that was produced by Ford between 19. Fairlane, Falcon, Galaxie, Torino, LTD II, Ford Durango
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