If Ford had a plan to market the original Ranchero of’57—and if Chevrolet had one for the El Camino that came along two model years later—it’s hard to determine what they were. Reflecting back some 40-odd years, it seems that, if not hugely successful sales-wise (which they’ weren’t), they did at least start a trend.
Ford Motor Company was deep into the Thunderbird (two- and the upcoming new four-passenger), the Skyliner (retractable’) hardtop, and the ill-fated Edsel. Chevrolet was involved with its Corvette, Nomad wagons, and the sales-leading Impala. There was little time or inclination to push oddball pickups that were really passenger cars sold as trucks. And trucks were far from being the glamour boys they are today, from either an image- or profit-generating standpoint.
◼ The melding of car and…
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MotorTrend (Digital) - 1 Issue, August 2001