1966-1971 Ford RancheroFairlane/Torino Ranchero (1966-1971)

Ford Ranchero 1966-1971 year by year

From Falcon to Fairlane to Torino

For 1966 Ford moved the Ford Ranchero up from the compact Falcon to its intermediate platform, a larger car. The 1966 truck used Falcon front sheet metal grafted onto the bigger intermediate body, a one-year transitional arrangement, and for 1967 the Ranchero took on full Fairlane styling. When Ford redesigned the intermediate line for 1968 and introduced the Torino as the upscale top of the Fairlane family, the Ranchero followed onto the new platform, so the 1968-1971 Rancheros are Torino-based. The 1970 model year brought a longer, more curved restyle along with the redesigned Torino. Across all six years the Ranchero remained an intermediate coupe utility rather than a compact one.

Engines of the 1966-1971 Ford Ranchero

The intermediate Ford Ranchero offered inline-sixes, the 170 and 200 early on and the 250 from 1969, alongside a broad V8 range. Small-block V8s included the 289 and the 302, plus the 351 Windsor from 1969, while the FE-family 390 served as a larger V8 in the 1967-1969 years. The performance versions reached big-block power: the 428 Cobra Jet for 1968 and 1969 and the 429 Cobra Jet for 1970 and 1971. Every horsepower figure from this generation is an SAE gross rating, the higher measurement standard used before the industry switched to SAE net for 1972, so these numbers are not directly comparable to the net ratings of the 1972-1976 Gran Torino Rancheros. The Ranchero shared these engines with the Fairlane and Torino passenger cars.

The Ranchero GT and the big-block versions

The Ranchero GT was the performance and appearance model of this generation, carrying the GT badging, trim, and the larger V8s of the Fairlane and Torino GT cars. The rarest are the big-block Cobra Jet Rancheros: the 1968-1969 Ranchero GT could be ordered with the 428 Cobra Jet V8, and for 1970-1971 the 429 Cobra Jet took its place as the top engine. These big-block GT Rancheros were built in small numbers and are the most collectible of the intermediate trucks. All were rated SAE gross.

Trim levels and the Squire

The 1966-1971 Ford Ranchero trim ladder broadened beyond the simple base and Deluxe of the Falcon era. The base Ranchero sat at the bottom, the Ranchero 500 was the better-equipped middle grade, and the Ranchero GT was the performance and appearance model. For 1970 Ford added the Ranchero Squire, which wore simulated woodgrain side paneling in the manner of the Country Squire wagons. These grades, the 500, the GT, and the Squire, carried forward into the later Gran Torino and LTD II generations.

Why 1971 was the last of this generation

The 1971 Ford Ranchero was the last of the intermediate Fairlane and Torino generation. For 1972 Ford redesigned its intermediate line around the larger Gran Torino, and the Ranchero moved onto that bigger, heavier platform. The 1972 redesign also coincided with the industry switch to SAE net horsepower, so the 1966-1971 gross-rated engines give way to lower-numbered net ratings starting in 1972.

Frequently asked questions

What generation is the 1966-1971 Ford Ranchero?

The 1966-1971 Ford Ranchero is the intermediate generation. The coupe utility moved from the compact Falcon to the Fairlane for 1966, using Falcon front styling that year, then adopted full Fairlane styling for 1967 and followed the line onto the Torino platform from 1968 through 1971.

What engines did the 1966-1971 Ford Ranchero use?

The 1966-1971 Ford Ranchero used the 170, 200, and 250 inline-sixes and V8s including the 289, 302, 351, and FE 390. Performance versions used the 428 Cobra Jet for 1968-1969 and the 429 Cobra Jet for 1970-1971. All figures are SAE gross, the pre-1972 standard.

What is the rarest 1966-1971 Ford Ranchero?

The rarest are the big-block Cobra Jet Ranchero GTs: the 1968-1969 Ranchero GT with the 428 Cobra Jet V8 and the 1970-1971 Ranchero GT with the 429 Cobra Jet. These performance versions were built in small numbers and are the most collectible intermediate Rancheros.

When did the Ford Ranchero move to the Torino?

The Ford Ranchero followed the intermediate line onto the Torino platform for 1968, when Ford redesigned the Fairlane family and introduced the Torino at its top. The 1966 and 1967 Rancheros were Fairlane-based, while the 1968-1971 trucks are Torino-based.

When did the Ranchero Squire and GT trims appear?

The Ranchero GT performance and appearance trim was part of this intermediate generation, and the woodgrain Ranchero Squire debuted for 1970. Along with the Ranchero 500, these grades carried into the later Gran Torino and LTD II Rancheros.

Sources

• Wikipedia, Ford Ranchero (Fairlane and Torino generations)
• Hagerty Media, Seven generations of the Ford Ranchero
• HowStuffWorks, 1970 Ford Ranchero
• Ford factory specification literature for the 1966-1971 Fairlane and Torino