Ranch Wagon
Canon PowerShot S80
2013
I’m ending this series on classic cars as I began it: with a photo of a badge on the flank of a colorful station wagon.
This time it’s a 1957 Ford. The Ranch Wagon sat at the bottom of Ford’s wagon hierarchy as basic transportation. If you wanted a swankier Ford wagon, you opted for the Country Squire.
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Nice!!! I’m a sucker for classic chrome!
Cars of the 50s are the place to be then!
From this teeny view you would never suspect that this was the version for tightwads or those who couldn’t afford better. I love the attention that emblems and scripts used to get.
Yeah, today they’d use a tape-sticker script. So low class.
It’s funny how shots of cars that you point out were very basic models at the time seem desirable, even glamorous, at least to my eyes. I think one factor is that they’re cars I never saw myself in the flesh as they’re from both a different place and a different era.
Here’s a look at the whole car for you then. Those are not this wagon’s original seats, by the way. It would have had two flat benches originally, with cloth upholstery. I’ve always thought the ’57 Ford to be a little homely, but it outsold the better-looking ’57 Chevy.
By the way, during my 1970s childhood British cars seemed like an alternate universe. A few models could be purchased here. I knew someone who had a Ford Cortina in the late ’70s. My main thought then was good god why did you not just buy something conventional, even if small, like a VW Bug?
What a great shot!
Thank you!!
This looks so cool 😎
Thanks!
2 Door wagons are special.
They had their heyday in the 50s and 60s. I think the last two-door wagons were the Pinto and the Vega/Monza in the 70s.
I had a Ford Pinto until I met a drunk driver.
I had a Pinto coupe for a while. Manual steering, manual brakes. Good times.
I’ve always liked seeing lower tier classic cars get love. Sure, everybody wants a top of the line coupe with the biggest engine but the truth is that so many of the lower end sedans and wagons with a straight six were the cars of blue collar America. It’s nice to see something like a Ranch wagon get some attention.
I agree. I’d sort of like to keep some basic new sedan for like 40 years as a time capsule. Just drive it 1,000 miles a year or something.