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December 2, 2005
Story and photo by Bill Vance Before pickup trucks evolved into a form of their own in the late 1930s and ’40s, most pickups were based on cars. Examples of pre-war sedan-based pickups were the Hudson and the Studebaker Coupe Express. Such automakers as Chevrolet, Ford, Hudson, Plymouth and Studebaker also marketed a variation called the coupe pickup, which was a coupe car with a slide-out cargo box fitted into the trunk.
In Australia, the car-based truck had been a popular model for many years. Known as the “Ute” (for utility), it was pioneered by Ford of Australia as early as 1932.
Studebaker’s Coupe Express wasn’t revived after the war, but Hudson did bring back its stylish car-based pickup which it built until 1947. It became uneconomic in 1948 with Hudson switched to unit construction.
As pickup trucks became more heavy-duty and utilitarian, the sedan- pickup idea languished in North America for a decade, apart from the tiny Crosley. Then in 1957 Ford resurrected the sedan-pickup here in the form of the stylish Ranchero, a smart looking car-truck based on a Ford station wagon chassis. It was even more car-like than Hudsons and Studebakers in that there was no break between the cab and the cargo box, a defining characteristic of the sedan-pickup.
Although Ford beat rival Chevrolet’s El Camino to market by two years with its sedan-truck, General Motors had really identified the market for a stylish pickup a couple of years earlier with the 1955 Cameo Carrier and the GMC Suburban.
The Cameo Carrier was based on a regular pickup, but had more chrome, a special red-and-white paint job, and bolt-on plastic sides on the cargo box that carried the lines of the cab right through to the rear of the truck. The rear was finished off with car-like tail-lights and concealed tailgate hinges.
Although made for only three years, the Cameo can be credited with laying the groundwork for fashionable pickups. But it was still truck-based, and that’s where the Ranchero was different. The Ranchero was based on the 2,946 mm (116 in.) wheelbase of the Ford Custom car and station wagon. Its introduction coincided with completely restyled longer-lower-wider Ford cars, which meant that it arrived with a completely fresh appearance.
Derived as it was from the two-door wagon, the Ranchero’s tailgate was the lower part of the wagon’s rear door. And since Ford, like Chevrolet, already offered a car-based sedan delivery model, the transition to the Ranchero was relatively easy.
Under the front-hinged hood the base engine was the corporate overhead valve, 3.6 litre (223 cu in.) in-line six developing 144 horsepower. Optional was the 4.5 litre (272 cu in.) overhead valve V8. A few with 5.1 (312) V8s were also produced, some with four-barrel carburetors, and even supercharging. A three-speed manual transmission was standard, with overdrive or the Fordomatic automatic optional.
Based as it was on a passenger vehicle, the Ranchero buyer could equip it with such then un-truck-like luxuries as air conditioning, and power brakes, steering, seats and windows. It also had a wraparound windshield, a popular styling feature of the day.
Ford dressed up the Ranchero with several two-tone colour combinations. From the top of the windows down to the mid-point of the body was Colonial White, and buyers could specify such companion colours as Doeskin Tan, Flame Red, or Inca Gold for the roof and the lower part of the body. Extra flash could be added in the form of a gold anodized side trim spear.
The Ranchero’s advertising theme concentrated on its dual-purpose capabilities. “After the day’s work is done, Ranchero’s ready for the evening fun,” went the copy. Or, “…a handsome caller…a husky hauler.” And indeed with its six-foot bed and a carrying capacity of 540 kg (1,190 lb), the Ranchero was quite a utilitarian vehicle. They became de rigueur for gentlemen farmers.
It even had exposure on the silver screen in the movie ‘April Love’ in which Pat Boone wooed the lovely Shirley Jones – in song, of course – in a Ford Ranchero. The stylish pickup was a real scene-stealer.
In spite of being introduced in November, 1956, which gave it a shortened model year, Ford sold a respectable 21,706 1957 Rancheros. They also came as a Meteor version in Canada.
After only three years on the full-size chassis, the Ranchero went onto the new compact Falcon platform for 1960. It would also be based on the Fairlane-Torino, and finally the Gran Torino-LTD II, before its demise in 1979.
Chevrolet’s competitor, the El Camino, arrived in 1959, but Ford had led the way with the 1957 Ranchero, and showed that it was possible to build a truck that was as truly luxurious as a passenger car. Related posts:
1958 Ford Ranchero. Click image to enlarge
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