Exploring the 1959 Ford Ranchero’s Unique Legacy

Borrowing a page from Australian auto enthusiasts …

I love the Australians because of their passion for cars. They love performance cars with big V-8s and their utes. In many ways they were trend setters and the reason for this week’s spot, a 1959 Ford Ranchero. They were cutting the backs off cars and trucks back in the 1930s.

There were some examples of it over here but not until November 12, 1956 when Ford introduced its Ranchero did the concept take hold. 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. Positioning 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. It was available with three engine options, one inline 6,223 CID 3.7L, and two V8s, 252 CID 4.8 L and 352 CID, 5.8 L.

RELATED Spot: Chevy’s answer to Ford

GM and Chrysler were caught off guard when the Ranchero came out. Dodge answered by lifting the entire rear section of its two-door six-passenger station wagon onto the back of its standard pickup truck to create the finny Dodge Sweptside. I thought it was kind of cool. Chevrolet and GMC merely continued with their Cameo and Suburban models, then Chevrolet caught up in 1959 with the El Camino, which was based on the same concept as the Ranchero.

The Ranchero would continue through seven generations. Now you’d think that with that length of time it would have sold big production numbers but it was modest, with just 508,355 sold in 22 years. The best years were 40,334 in 1972 and 45,741 in ’73, but sales were usually half that. The rarest year is 1958, when only 9,950 left the factory.

So what are they worth now. The 59 year is very affordable and according to Hagerty priced from around $10K up to $54K. According to Classic.com the average sale price is just over $23,000. The later years bump up just a bit when equipped with the 8-cyl. 428cid/360hp 4bbl Super Cobra Jet and selling from $12,500 to $61,500. Not a ton of cash and something really unique at any Cars and Coffee Event.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my latest spot. Come back next Friday for another one along with some of its history and have a great weekend.