1957 Ford Ranchero

The 1957 Ford Ranchero introduced the coupe utility to the United States, a car-based pickup that Ford adapted from the short-wheelbase two-door Ranch Wagon by removing the rear roof section and fitting a cargo bed over the floor. It rode on the full-size Ford platform with a 116-inch wheelbase for 1957 and 1958, and shared the redesigned 1957 Ford body and front styling. Ford introduced the Ranchero in December 1956 for the 1957 model year, and it was the first US-built coupe utility of the postwar era, a layout that prompted Chevrolet to answer with the El Camino for 1959. The 1957 Ford Ranchero offered the 223-cubic-inch inline-six as the base engine and Y-block V8s in 272, 292, and 312 displacement; horsepower figures from this era are SAE gross, the higher rating standard before 1972. For 1958 Ford added the new FE-family big-block V8s, the 332 and the 352, alongside a facelift with quad headlamps. The 1959 Ford Ranchero received another restyle and moved to a 118-inch wheelbase, and it was the last year on the full-size platform before the nameplate moved to the compact Falcon for 1960. Production was 21,705 for 1957 and 9,950 for 1958, two trim levels were offered, the base Ranchero and the better-trimmed Custom Ranchero.