Ford Ranchero Classic Cars for Sale

The Ford Ranchero was the first car to be produced with a truck bed. It was produced by Ford from 1957 to 1979, with over half a million Rancheros being produced over this period.

The History of the Ford Ranchero

Throughout its history, the Ford Ranchero was made in the same pattern as another Ford car. This meant that the Ranchero would be available with many of the same features and style of another Ford car line but with the car/truck combination size and build of the Ranchero.

Ford Ranchero in the 1950s

The Ford Ranchero was initially patterned after the Ford Fairline car. The Ranchero was marketed as a useful combination of car drive ability with truck usage, with the slogan "More than a Car! More than a Truck!". This version of the Ford Ranchero was produced from 1957 to 1959.

Ford Ranchero in the 1960s

In 1960, the Ranchero was changed to be patterned from the Ford Falcon. The second generation Ranchero was upgraded alongside the Falcon to become a compact pick up. This incarnation of the Ranchero was available in either 4 speed Ford-a-Matic automatic transmission, 3 speed Cruise-o-Matic or 3 speed manual transmission. In 1966, the Ranchero switched back to being modelled on the Ford Fairlane. This version was not around for long, as in 1967 the Ranchero was changed again, this time to be modelled on the Ford Torino. In 1968, there were three versions of the Ford Ranchero available: the standard model, 500 and top of the line GT.

Ford Ranchero in the 1970s

Throughout the early seventies, the Ranchero followed the Torino line, including the notorious fish mouth grill design in 1972. In 1977, the Ranchero became a LTD car with equipment including power steering, powered windows and steering.

Special Editions of the Ford Ranchero

In 1969, a special edition of the Ranchero called the Ford Ranchero Rio Grande was available by order. It came in three custom 'Grabber' colours: Wimbledon White, Poppy Red and Calypso Coral. The Rio Grande had side stripes, partly blacked out hood and vinyl top. It is thought that under 1000 Rio Grandes were produced. In 1979, a Limited Edition was produced with an all leather interior. This was something of a swansong for the Ranchero and it was designated the 1979 1/2 model.

Rancheros outside the USA

The popularity and usefulness of the Ford Ranchero in the USA led to the Ranchero name being used on different cars in other countries. In Canada, the 1957-9 Ranchero was called the Meteor Ranchero. In Argentina, the Ranchero name was badged onto a utility vehicle version of the Ford Falcon. This vehicle sold well between 1973 and 1991, with some Rancheros also being exported to Cuba. The Australian Ford Falcon was rebadged as a Ranchero for sale in South Africa in the 1970s.