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The Ford Ranchero was a car/ pickup truck combination vehicle produced between 1957 and 1979 by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market.It was the first postwar American vehicle like this from the factory and did well enough to spawn a competitor from General Motors, the Chevrolet El Camino.
In Europe, car-based pickup trucks have been more common over the years from a variety of manufacturers, but the American versions are probably the largest and most powerful produced.
1 1957-59
Between 1957 and 1959 the Ranchero was based on the full-size Ford Fairlane platform. There were two models available, a utilitarian standard model, marketed to traditional pickup truck buyers such as farmers, and the Ford Ranchero Custom which picked up most of the options and accessories available on the Ford 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 cubic inch (5.8 L) Thunderbird Special.
2 1960-66
In 1960 the Ranchero became 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 cubic inch (2.4 L) straight-6 (at 30 mpg, this is as good as most modern vehicles) while the largest engine offered was a 260 cubic inch (4.3 L) small-block V8, which in such a small platform gave quite sprightly performance.
The Ranchero evolved along with the Falcon in 1964, becoming just a little larger along with its parent, and with the availability of larger engines including a 289 cubic inch (4.7 L) V8.
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.
3 1967
1967Events January January 4 British motorboat racer Donald Campbell dies while attempting a water speed record in Coniston Lake. January 4 Algerian revolutionary Mohammed Khider is shot in Madrid. January 6 Vietnam War: USMC and ARVN troops launch " Operatio saw another radical change for the Ranchero, as Ford shifted it to the larger Fairlane platform (at that point, the mid-size car in the Ford lineup). This was a well-received vehicle, with clean, straight lines, dual stacked headlights, and plenty of power; engine options started with a 200 cubic inch (3.3 L) straight-6 and went up to a 390 cubic inch (6.4 litre) FE-series big-block V8 giving 315 horsepower (235 kW).
4 1968-1971
1968Events Undated Booker Prize for Fiction is established by Booker plc. 1968 is known as the year of the Prague Spring and also the year of the Paris riots. The ASCII character code is standardized as ANSI Standard X3. Nauru adopt his national anthem of the saw the Fairlane replaced by the Ford TorinoThe Ford Torino was a car produced by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. The Torino was a mid-size car by American standards of the time quite large by modern standards, but smaller than the full-size Ford Galaxie., and the Ranchero became a Torino-based vehicle. These had a shallow-pointed grille and front end and smooth, somewhat more curvaceous lines. Three models were available - the standard, 500, and GT by increasing price and features. Almost all Torino options could be ordered, all the way up to a 428 Cobra Jet engine (7 litres) with optional ram air induction, making the Ranchero a true performance vehicle. Through 19711971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). Events January January 1 British divorce Reform Act comes into force January 2 66 die in stairway crush at Rangers v Celtic football match, Glasgow, Scotland. See Ibrox disaster. Janua the Ranchero followed the changes in its parent model, including the availability of Ford's new 429, even in Super Cobra Jet form.
5 1972-1976
19721972 is a leap year starting on Saturday (click link for calendar). Events January events January 2 the Pierre Hotel Heist Six men rob the safety deposit boxes of the Pierre Hotel in New York City. Loot is at least $4 million January 5 President of the Un saw a radical makeover of the Torino and Ranchero, including a wide, gaping 'fishmouth' grille, and a lessening of power due to increasing economy and emissions requirements. The largest engine available now was a 351 cubic inch (5.75 L) Cleveland, though it could be obtained in tuned Cobra Jet form.
