1957 Ford Custom 300 Series Ranchero
Ford’s answer to the pickup truck wars combined passenger car style with utility truck practicality in an unprecedented vehicle design. The Ranchero featured the front styling and comfort of Ford’s full-size passenger cars but transitioned to an open cargo bed behind the B-pillar, creating what Ford marketed as a “double-duty beauty.”
This innovative approach carried more than half a ton of cargo while offering amenities typically found in passenger sedans. The Ranchero was offered in two trim levels: the base Ranchero 70A and the Custom Ranchero 70B, the latter being based on the Custom series (positioned above the base but below the Fairlane in Ford’s lineup).
Power options ranged from the standard 223 CI inline-six to several V8s, including the 292 CI overhead valve V8 rated at 212 horsepower with a single Carter carburetor. Transmission choices included a 3-speed manual, overdrive, or the optional Ford-O-Matic automatic. Independent front suspension and a live rear axle handled the driving dynamics.
Ford built 21,705 Rancheros in 1957, making it the first mass-produced car-based pickup in the U.S. It effectively created a new market segment that Chevrolet would not enter until the El Camino debuted in 1959.
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