![]() ![]() It was said that the doors could fling open on corners. In some ways the vehicle was rushed into production, particularly the door mechanism design. Competition from GM was surpassing the old Ford designs. The all-new 1949 Ford was said at the time to be the car that saved the Ford Corporation. The styling was influential on many European manufacturers, such as Mercedes Benz, Borgward, Austin, Volvo and many others. The new styling approach was also evident in the 1949 Mercury Eight and the all-new Lincoln Cosmopolitan. From a customer's perspective, the old Custom, De Luxe, and Super De Luxe lines were replaced by new Standard and Custom trims and the cars gained a modern look with completely integrated rear fenders and just a hint of a fender in front. The convertible frame had an "X member" for structural rigidity. The new integrated steel structure was advertised as a "lifeguard body", and even the woody wagon was steel at heart. From 1975 to 1977, small quantities of Custom 500 station wagons (no longer called Ranch Wagon) were produced strictly for fleet buyers.The 1949 models debuted at a gala at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City in June 1948, with a carousel of the new Fords complemented by a revolving demonstration of the new chassis. The 1974 Ranch Wagon was the last available for sale to the general public. The Custom series was dropped when Ford issued the next generation of full-size cars for 1973, meaning all Ranch Wagons were Custom 500s. A three-speed manual transmission continued as standard through the 1971 model year, with all cars fitted with a SelectShift automatic transmission starting with the 1972 models. In 1970, for the first time, all Ranch Wagons were powered by a V8. In 1968, two new Ranch Wagon models, called the Custom 500 Ranch Wagons, were introduced one a six-passenger model, the other the first Ranch Wagon furnished with third row seating, Ford's familiar side-mounted dual-facing rear seats.įord wagons ceased to be a separate series when they were redesigned for 1969, officially becoming part of the respective series on which they were based thus that year's base Ranch Wagon was now a member of the low-end Custom series. In 1966, it was the beneficiary of Ford's innovative new dual-action Magic Doorgate, which could be opened either down or sideways. The Ranch Wagon returned to the full-size line for 1965. Sales Fourth-generation Ranch Wagon production (2-door and 4-door numbers combined)ġ965–1974 1967 Ford Ranch Wagon 1972 Ford Ranch Wagon By this time, full-size two-door station wagons were fading in popularity, and the 1961 two-door Ranch Wagon was the last full-size two-door wagon ever built (along with the two-door Plymouth Deluxe Suburban of that same year), leaving the four-door as the sole Ranch Wagon model for 1962. The Del Rio was dropped for 1959, replaced by a one-year-only two-door Country Sedan. ![]() There were three Ranch Wagons the following year, as the first four-door Ranch Wagon was added to the model range. That same model was the basis for the new 1957 Ranchero, and a Mercury version called the Mercury Commuter which was a hardtop inspired wagon without a "B" pillar. For 1957, the Del Rio Ranch Wagon was introduced (replacing both the Custom Ranch Wagon and the Parklane), sporting special ranch-pattern upholstery. The two models were renamed Ranch Wagon and Custom Ranch Wagon for 1955, when the entire Ford station wagon set became a series of its own. The Ranch Wagon had either the standard "Mileage Maker" six-cylinder engine or the long-familiar flathead V8, which was optional.Īfter receiving mostly cosmetic changes for 1953, a second Ranch Wagon model, a slightly fancier version in the Customline series, was added for 1954, the year Ford's new Y-block V8 replaced the flathead unit. ![]() These were the Country Sedan, a four-door model in the mid-range Customline series and the Ranch Wagon, which was a two-door model in the economy Mainline series, inspired by the European-term shooting-brake. When Ford introduced a redesigned line of cars for the 1952 model year, its Country Squire continued to cater to buyers who still wanted a station wagon with the look of wood (attained by applying simulated exterior wood decals, which were framed in genuine wood through 1953).įor other wagon buyers, Ford also gave them two new choices that year, the first all-steel wagons in the firm's history. In the early 1950s, the wood-bodied station wagon was becoming upscale and expensive. 1952–1962 1957 Ford Ranch Wagon 1959 Ford 2-door Ranch Wagon 1960 Ford 2 Door Ranch Wagons ![]()
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