Featured is the 1964 Ford Ranchero. The Ranchero was produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1957 through the 1979 model year. The 1964 Ford Ranchero was a part of the second generation Ranchero’s that were built from 1960-65.
The Ford Ranchero / A Utility Vehicle With Passenger Car Comfort
When the Ford Ranchero was introduced in 1957, one advertisement for the vehicle was as follows… “It’s more than a car! It’s more than a truck! Any way you look at it, the stunning new Ranchero is the slickest, sleekest pickup ever to pack a load. And what a load! The Ranchero carries more than half a ton — more than many standard pickups!”
From 1960 through 1966 the Ranchero followed the Falcon body style design and was considered the compact Ranchero pickup.The Ford Ranchero was always styled to correspond to a Ford passenger car. The 1964 Ranchero which was based on the Ford Falcon was a bit larger than previous models and had sculptured side panels.
Of significance is the fact that beginning with the 1960 Ranchero the build went from a body on frame to a uni-body construction with the economy car platform of the Ford Falcon.
The Ranchero was offered with standard styling or with custom styling just the same as passenger cars. Custom styling would include body side molding, more accessories and a finer interior look.
Ford’s Ranchero was a success and it led Chevrolet in 1959 to offer it’s own design of a utility vehicle with a body based upon one of it’s passenger car models. .
Early Passenger Car / Pickup Truck Hybrids
One such automaker, Hudson, produced a half ton pickup which also could be used for either work or pleasure. The Hudson half- and 3/4-ton Cab Pickups were built respectively on the 116- and 128 inch wheelbase versions of the Super Six passenger car chassis. The front half of the light pickup was a passenger car with the back half being a cargo bed.
Hudson also had their 1934 Terraplane Pickup Expresswhich was more of a car than a pickup. Studebaker also had the same formula with their 1937 Coupe Express.
1964 Ford Ranchero Specifications
Three engines were available on the 1964 Ford Ranchero. These were a 170 cubic inch inline six with 101 HP. A 200 cubic inch inline six with 116 HP, and a 260 cubic inch V-8 with 164 HP.
Transmissions were a four speed manual and a Ford-O-Matic automatic.
Brakes were four wheel hydraulic drums.
The wheelbase of the second generation Ranchero’s were shortened to 110.0 inches from the previous 118.0 inches. A significant downsizing. Ford believed the market needed a practical vehicle that was much smaller and cheaper than a full size truck. The wheelbase did increase to 113.0 inches for the third generation in 1966.
For the 1964 model year there were 10,700 Rancheros built. Total Ford production for 1964 was just under 2.2 million. In the 23 years of total Ranchero production, there were a total of 508,355 units produced. New car price for the 64 Ranchero was about $2,050.
Additional related Auto Museum Online articles are found on the links below…
Reference material for this article includes..The Ford Falcon, 1960-1963 by author P.K. Cottrill…American MuscleCar: Ford Thunderbird/Chevrolet El Camino/Ford Ranchero by Tony Messano…Ford Motor Company Archives.
1964 Ford Ranchero Collector Vehicle
The Ford Ranchero utility vehicle was something unique when it came out in 1957, however perhaps unique to the North American market. Haggerty.Com reported that “the coupe utility was a practical and quite often attractive alternative to a traditional compact pickup, something that Americans had forgotten but Australians had known since the 1930s.” The 1964 Ford Ranchero represents a revolutionary half-car, half-truck vehicle that made it easy to climb in and drive while also being able to haul cargo as needed. In this respect the Ranchero is a unique collector vehicle.
The 1964 Ford Ranchero is a relatively affordable classic. Asking prices are in the $14,000 to $25,000 range. Condition, mileage, and originality dictate value.
(Article and photos copyright Auto Museum Online)