1957 Ford Ranchero

This 1957 Ford Ranchero Custom Pickup is a gorgeous stock example of Fords famous truck/car hybrid that comes to us from an impressive museum display. By the mid-1950s, the role of trucks was beginning to shift from purely utilitarian work trucks used to haul cargo to something a bit more ambidextrous; Americans were using their trucks as daily transportation with work and hauling being only incidental. The first American automaker to cater to this shift was Chevrolet when it introduced its luxury Cameo Pickup in 1955. After Chevy controlled the luxury pickup market for two years, the rest of Americas truck builders saw an opening to enter this market with their own iterations of a more luxurious pickup. The next automaker to enter the luxury pickup market was the Ford Motor Company when Ford debuted the Ranchero to the American market on December 8, 1956 at the National Automobile Show in New York. Interestingly, while the Ranchero was new to the American market, the underlying design was not truly new at all. Back in 1934, Ford sold a truck known as the Ute in Australia. As the story goes, an Australian farmers wife asked the local Ford plant to build her a vehicle to go to church in on a Sunday, and which can carry our pigs to market on Mondays? And thats exactly what Ford did! Ford marketed its new truck-sedan hybrid Ranchero as a new idea in motor vehicles. Built on Fords trusted station wagon frame, the Ranchero sported a comfortable passenger car styled cab up front and a light duty truck-style rear cargo area in the rear, essentially marrying the comfort and luxury of a passenger car with the utility and practicality of a truck. Of course, Ford made some slight modifications to its standard station wagons design accommodate the trucks features such as relocating the fuel filler door so as not to interfere with the fold-down rear tailgate. In its debut year, the 1957 Ranchero was offered in two models, a more stripped-down Standard Ranchero and the more luxurious (and more popular) Custom Ranchero. The Custom Pickup Ranchero sported flashier gold anodized side trim on the outside as well as fancier interior options such as a horn ring and dual fold-down sun visors. In total, Ford produced 15,277 Custom Ranchero Pickups in 1957 demonstrating that the novel design was well-received by the public. Its also worth noting that the Ranchero would entice other American truck-makers to introduce their own luxury pickups, such as the Dodge Sweptside Pickup and the International Golden Jubilee; and in 1959, with perhaps a sense of imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Chevrolet replaced its own luxury Cameo Pickup with its own sedan-truck combo vehicle, the El Camino. This particular 1957 Ranchero Custom Pickup comes to us most recently from the private museum of an esteemed collector and before that the truck spent over 20 years under the stewardship of another collector. Under the hood on this 57 Ranchero Pickup is a 292 Cubic Inch V8 engine fed by a single 2 barrel carburetor that together were said to have created 212 horsepower when new. The 292 V8 is backed by a Ford-O-Matic Automatic transmission that makes this classic 50s pickup an easy truck for just about anybody to take for a spin around the block. Exhaust exits the 292 Ford power plant via a dual exhaust setup that generates a terrific throaty sound out of the rear chrome-tipped tailpipes. This 1957 Ford Ranchero comes equipped with numerous nifty options! With power steering, maneuvering in and out of tight parking spaces at the local car show or ice cream parlor is an absolute breeze and feels almost effortless. Further aiding in parking this truck is a pair of dual outside chrome mirrors that not only elevate the exterior appearance of the Ranchero but also provide ease of mind that you can see everything beside you. The long steel bed with its high-sided body is in wonderful shape as well and while suited for light duty hauling, is probably too nice today to be used to haul serious cargo. This 1957 Ranchero Custom Pickup rides on a set of wide whitewall radial tires mounted on chrome wire wheels with spinner hubcaps that provide a stylish look and even better ride cruising down the road. The exterior of this 1957 Ford has been refinished in a beautiful two-tone paint scheme consisting of Flame Red and Colonial White that complete the exterior look of this fantastic truck. The interior of this 1957 Ford Rancher Custom Pickup is absolutely gorgeous! The bench seat has been correctly reupholstered in Flame Red and Colonial White vinyl, just how this truck came when it rolled off the San Jose, California production line back in 1957. The matching two-tone Red and White door panels, red steering wheel, red carpeting, and red padded dash all appear to be in wonderful condition and all retain a nice stock appearance. The instrument cluster is equipped with a 120 MPH speedometer, temperature gauge, and fuel gauge, along with indicator lights for the turn signals, generator and oil pressure. The dash is finished off with a glovebox, push-button AM radio, clock, and various controls for the wipers, heater, and more. Whether youre buying your very classic pickup truck or youre an established Fifties Ford Fanatic, this 1957 Ford Ranchero Custom Pickup would make an excellent choice. Give Ellingsons a call today at 763-428-7337!