Photo: Hemmings
Ford may have brought the concept of coupe utility vehicle to the U.S., but it was the Chevrolet El Camino that took all the laurels, severely beating the Blue Oval machine in terms of sales back in the glory days of the genre. In some respects, Chevy keeps beating Ford today on the pre-owned market, where you can easily find more El Caminos up for grabs.
And this is why when a Ranchero worth talking about pops up, we are certainly not going to miss it, especially considering how January is Ford Month here at autoevolution.
What you’re looking at is a Ranchero that allegedly spent most of its life in San Francisco and for a time even way out in Hawaii. It was born in full white in 1972 as a Squire model, meaning it came complete with woodgrain accents.
Now, there’s no wood to be seen on it anymore, and the white on the body has been replaced by a gold hue. The Squire emblems are still there but, most importantly, so is the original drivetrain of the pickup.
First off, being kicked all over the place by Chevrolet, Ford didn’t make all that many Rancheros in 1972, which was the first year of the sixth generation. A little over 4,000 of them saw daylight, of which, of course, very few packed the 429-ci (7.0-liter) engine (under 200), a powerplant second in displacement at the time only to the 460-ci (7.5-liter).
The original engine is still on, and so is the three-speed automatic transmission, making this Ranchero a very enticing proposition.
The owner must have thought so too, and the pickup was for sale not long ago on Hemmings. It was priced low enough ($12,500) to make it even more attractive, but somehow it didn’t manage to impress enough to sell – the most someone was willing to pay for it was $7,000.
What you’re looking at is a Ranchero that allegedly spent most of its life in San Francisco and for a time even way out in Hawaii. It was born in full white in 1972 as a Squire model, meaning it came complete with woodgrain accents.
Now, there’s no wood to be seen on it anymore, and the white on the body has been replaced by a gold hue. The Squire emblems are still there but, most importantly, so is the original drivetrain of the pickup.
First off, being kicked all over the place by Chevrolet, Ford didn’t make all that many Rancheros in 1972, which was the first year of the sixth generation. A little over 4,000 of them saw daylight, of which, of course, very few packed the 429-ci (7.0-liter) engine (under 200), a powerplant second in displacement at the time only to the 460-ci (7.5-liter).
The original engine is still on, and so is the three-speed automatic transmission, making this Ranchero a very enticing proposition.
The owner must have thought so too, and the pickup was for sale not long ago on Hemmings. It was priced low enough ($12,500) to make it even more attractive, but somehow it didn’t manage to impress enough to sell – the most someone was willing to pay for it was $7,000.
Google News