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Long and Low 1972 Ford Ranchero Begs to Be Seen in the Open

The Ford Ranchero is one of those weirdly shaped vehicles that in an alternate reality are still a hit on the market (as they should).
1972 Ford Ranchero 6 photos
Photo: Classic Cars
1972 Ford Ranchero1972 Ford Ranchero1972 Ford Ranchero1972 Ford Ranchero1972 Ford Ranchero
It belongs to the long-unutilized coupe utility segment, born in Australia in response to the locals' requests to have a vehicle equally as good for going to church on Sunday and moving stuff around for the rest of the week. Coincidentaly or not, it was Ford that started the segment Down Under way back in the 1930s.

Of course the utes (this is how people there call them) made for Australia were not exactly suitable for the U.S. market, and the industry didn’t even try to bring such an idea to the U.S until in the 1950s - in spite or because of Studebaker’s failed attempt to sell one in the years before the war.

Ford finally decided to make a move in this home market in 1957, when it launched the Ranchero, a two-door station wagon with a chopped rear end to make room for a bed. It lasted until the late 1970s, but for most of its life it was overshadowed by Chevy’s entrance in the segment, the El Camino.

There are plenty of Rancheros still around today, and in some circles these vehicles are in high demand. And there’s even a custom movement with the Ranchero at its center.

An example of a customized Ranchero, part of the sixth generation, is the one in the gallery above. Currently selling somewhere in California, it is of course the only one in existence wearing this flaming paint job, meant to alert anyone looking that there are some modifications underneath the skin as well.

And by modifications, we mean a rebuilt a 351ci (5.8-liter) Cleveland engine and transmission (the Ranchero traveled close to 8,000 miles since rebuild), and the addition of new wheels and tires.

The price someone is asking for this is $27,000, and the sale comes with the promise that the pickup has been kept parked in a garage somewhere for a great number of years.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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