1960 Ranchero

What was the 1960 full sized Ranchero supposed to have looked like? I have a 1960 small Ranchero, so know what it looks like. But what about the big one?

Also read that the whole Falcon line was originally intended to be sold by Edsel dealers. Would this then have included the Ranchero?

Wm.

in 1960 the Falcon and the Ranchero were Absolutely Identical in every way but the backsides of a truck on the Ranchero...

There was no Full Sized Ranchero back then...

You're wacko.

I got notes that the design of the original 1960 Ranchero had begun in 1958. FMC was surprized how well the 1957 based truck was selling. They made up a clay model of such for production 1960 then too. Apparently they bent up some sheet metal in early 1959 as a test bed. Then abandoned it for market was changing. If you look into the 1960 Ford manual it mentions the Ranchero, but there are no pages. That section, in the rear, was omitted from mine. Easier to omit pages than to include them I guess.

Went on to a quickie Falcon based item then sometime in early 1959 I presume. But what did the real original Ranchero look like? I have only seen the picture of one room containing the several clay models of it in Cars that Never Were.

Wm.

OK, maybe I am whacko but in 58 or 59 the Ranchero was HUGE, I have seen several dozen 1960 Ranchero's that are NOT huge, they are the little one's like the car in my sig... and stayed relatively small until 1966 when they went through major changed again...

See the 60 here


and a 59 here...


They didn't get any bigger than the 60 until 64, in 64 they got square and ugly but not bigger, then in 66 they got bigger again, like this...


Those are the only Ranchero's that I remember...

Now there MAY have been some designs floating around, but other than the 57-59 I have no idea.. Sorry I couldn't help


FE

FE is right there were no Full Size Ranchero in 60 just the Falcon version.

Hey FE the 64 /65 were the good looking ones !

Good looking? Your Nucking Futz! LMAO! Rounders are better

You Ranchero owners need to read the original message once again.

Wm.

Ok Will, this is what I am aware of as far as the Ranchero goes. Also, I am not of the age to have been around the rumour mill at thh 1959-60 timeframe to have caught wind of Ford keeping the Ranchero in the Fairlane line.
Remember this post? http://www.fordmuscle.com/forums/gal...-ranchero.html

Here is the quote I read from the book "Ford Ranchero: 1957-1979 A Photo History"
Author James C. Mays
Chapter 2: 1960-1965 specifically under the heading 1960
With no sedan pickup of any kind in the stable, Ford's Sedan Delivery was offered on the full sized passenger car body. Canadians could order a Meteor Sedan Delivery. Before the downsized Rancheros were finally available for market, a good sized order for Rancheros was received from a large power company in the Pacific Northwest. Rather than lose out to Chevrolet, Ford reached into the 1959 parts bin and cobbled together a number of fullsized 1960 Rancheros based on the 1960 Galaxie body.



Now about the Edsel line carrying the Falcon body style, I am sure I've heard that rumour before, but I cannot pinpoint it... NOr do I believe it to be Valid.

The edsel line was Specialty car's only and the Falcon was not a specialty category... Check out this timeline...

November 19, 1956: Ford announced the name of the new car - Edsel. Special Products Division became known as the Edsel Division of Ford Motor Company.

January 11, 1957: Ford announced that the design of the Edsel will be far more radical than any of its other products and that equally radical sales and marketing techniques would be used to promote it.

January 15, 1957: Sales goal for model year 1958 was set at 200,000 cars.

January 21, 1957: Edsel GM Richard Krafve predicts "The new Edsel line of cars will surpass the originally announced first-year sales goal of 200,000 units."

February 5, 1957: Ford released the names and characteristics of each Edsel series.

February 15, 1957: Ford's 25 millionth V-8 engine was produced, in Lima, Ohio. It was an Edsel E-475.

March 10, 1957: Ford announced five assembly plant locations where the Edsel will be produced, adding that a sixth plant on the West Coast was also planned.

April 9, 1957: The first Edsel dealership franchise agreements were signed.

April 15, 1957: Eight pre-production (pilot) model Edsels were built in Mahwau, NJ.

June 28, 1957: Approximately six pre-production (pilot) cars were built at the San Jose plant.

July 15, 1957: Full-scale production of the 1958 Edsel began.

July 22, 1957: The first Edsel advertising appeared, in Life magazine. The 2-page ads featured wrapped cars and blurred photos to tease the public.

July 31, 1957: Month-end production totals: 3729 units

August 27, 1957: Edsel Press introduction.

August 31, 1957: Month-end production totals: 19876 units

September 4, 1957: E Day. The Edsel was finally introduced to the public after months of secrecy.

September 11, 1957: The Edsel is introduced in Canada.

September 30, 1957: Month-end production totals: 18815 units

October 13, 1957: The Edsel Show, a one-hour special hosted by Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong and Rosemary Clooney aired on CBS in place of the Sunday night fixture The Ed Sullivan Show. Ratings were enormous.

October 23, 1957: The short-lived Edsel sponsorship of TV's Wagon Train began.

October 31, 1957: Month-end production totals: 7566 units

November 21, 1957: Edsel dealers were shown a promotional telecast from the home office, with Mr. Ford stating "Gentleman, the Edsel is here to stay!"

November 30, 1957: Month-end production totals: 2483 units

December 31, 1957: Month-end production totals: 2138 units

January 14, 1958: Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln (M-E-L) Division was formed.

September 23, 1958: Production began on the 1959 Edsel.

October 31, 1958: The 1959 Edsel line was introduced to the public.

January 31, 1959: Month-end production totals: 5880 units

February 28, 1959: Month-end production totals: 3819 units

March 31, 1959: Month-end production totals: 4035 units

April 10, 1959: The Edsel advertising account was reassigned from Foote, Cone & Belding to Kenyon & Eckhardt

April 25, 1959: M-E-L management reluctantly decided to go forward with the 1960 model Edsel.

April 30, 1959: Month-end production totals: 4031 units

May 31, 1959: Month-end production totals: 2959 units

June 30, 1959: Month-end production totals: 2575 units

July 31, 1959: Month-end production totals: 1971 units

August 7, 1959: The first 1960 Edsel pre-production (Pilot) cars were built.

August 31, 1959: Month-end production totals: 1561 units

September 14, 1959: Full-scale production began on the 1960 model Edsel.

September 30, 1959: Month-end production totals: 889 units

October 15, 1959: The 1960 Edsel models were introduced to the public.

October 31, 1959: Month-end production totals: 1767 units

November 19, 1959: Ford Motor Company discontinued the Edsel.

November 21, 1959: The last Edsel magazine ad appeared, in the Saturday Evening Post.

November 30, 1959: Month-end production totals: 190 units

December 8, 1967: The first meeting of the Edsel Owners Club, in Oakland CA.

December 26, 1968: The CBS Evening News nationally aired Charles Kuralt's interview with members of the Edsel Owners Club.

February 3, 1969: The Edsel Owners Club was incorporated as a non-profit organization for the promotion and restoration of the Edsel automobile. The International Edsel Club is incorporated later this same year.

July 19, 1997: Edsel.com goes online.

December 23, 1997: The Edsel Club is incorporated as the third major non-profit Edsel preservation society.


I think it's all a hogwash and maybe that special order of the early style Ranchero going out in 1960 due to a shortage might be make believe...


FE