Ford

Introduced in December 1956, three months after the usual September model-year launch, the Ranchero was built on Ford’s all-new full-size platform for 1957. Unlike a conventional pickup, it was adapted from a two-door station wagon, integrating the cab and cargo bed into a single, unified body. Over the years the Ranchero would evolve with Ford’s lineup, shifting from full-size foundations to compact and intermediate platforms as the market changed. Initially offered in just two trim levels, it was built alongside its passenger-car counterparts on the same assembly line, but marketed and sold through Ford’s truck division. The original Ranchero sold well enough to spawn a competitor from General Motors in 1959, the Chevrolet El Camino.