1967 FORD Fairlane Ranchero

Background

A PREMIUM WILL BE CHARGED ON THIS AUCTION OF 5% OF THE HAMMER PRICE (PLUS VAT IN THE UK AND EUROPE). MIN £500 + VAT - MAX £5,000 (+ VAT)

The Ford Ranchero utility coupe was first launched in 1957 and was based on the Courier sedan platform. First offered as the Falcon Ranchero, it was aimed at those who wanted the flexibility of a pickup, but without the higher cost and larger size of a pickup truck. The concept proved a hit with the buying public and the model went through numerous revisions before production came to an end in 1980. The third generation Ranchero was unveiled in 1966 and was based on the Falcon/Fairlane platform. The new Fairline Ranchero was available through the 1966-67 production year only and featured stylish stacked headlights. The utility coupe on sale with The market is a 1967 Ford Fairlane Ranchero that hails from the dry state of California and has absolutely fantastic patina.

The Vehicle

This particular 1967 Fairlane Ranchero was acquired by the seller direct from California in September 2022. The seller states that the car was known to his US-based brother, who used to see it regularly at local car and coffee meets in the state of California. The current owner and seller says that it always caught his brother's eye thanks to its weathered, patina-heavy exterior and he always admired how the owner continued to use and enjoy the pickup. Unfortunately the owner passed away and the Ranchero was then parked up by the family. The seller's brother managed to get in touch with the deceased owner's family and purchased the pickup from the owner's son. He then offered it to his brother back in the UK as he knew it was right up his street.

On the Outside

As the saying goes, a car is only original once and it is impossible to replicate the decades of wear and use that has matured so nicely on the gold exterior of this Ford Fairlane Ranchero.

It has acres of patina with its gold paint faded, worn and scratched. There are some drag marks on the drivers door and some dents on the tailgate area, which are shown in the photos. As expected, there’s plenty of evidence that the bed area has been well-used for hauling loads over the past 56 years. However there appear to be no serious dents or damage in the bed floor, which is good to see.

The seller believes that the bonnet and the right side front wing have been replaced in the past as they are a slightly different shade of gold. He suggests that the rest of the paint is all-original, and it certainly looks that way in the photos.

Despite the pickup's well worn look, all of its chrome trim and badges appear to be intact which is impressive, especially as trucks that live a hard life often lose such decorative details. The seller says that the chrome is very nice indeed and that the bumpers are in good shape.

The Fairlane Ranchero sits on a set of aftermarket chrome wheels, some of which are showing signs of surface rust coming through, but the seller says they clean up well and compliment the used look.

On the Inside

The charming patina of the pickup's outside is also found on the inside and is set off by the Mexican-pattern fabric which has been used to cover the bench seat. Underneath the cover, the driver's side seat cloth trim is worn through to the foam base, however the foam itself appears to be intact. There is also wear on the top left corner of the driver's seat. The passenger side seat trim is in much better shape suggesting it hasn’t carried too many passengers in its lifespan.

The door cards and arm rests are also showing signs of wear and use and are likely original.

Aftermarket speakers have been fitted in the doors, and as this was a base-model Fairlane, good old fashioned manual windows were fitted as standard.

The dashboard, including the steering wheel and shifter ball, show nice levels of wear, with the seller confirming that all the gauges work as they should, as does the heater.

He notes that the original push button radio (which was likely a factory-fitted option when new) doesn’t work but there is a more modern aftermarket stereo with bluetooth fitted, which does work.

The seller goes on to say that the dashboard is cracked under the dash top cover. He hasn’t removed the cover as it is stuck down at present.

Underneath

Under the hood resides a Ford 289 V8 engine which is mated to a four-speed manual, floor shift gearbox. The engine is painted in classic Ford blue and looks presentable in the photos. It should be noted that while the V5 refers to a 3654cc engine, which corresponds to a Ford 223ci straight-6, this car is believed to feature the correct 4.7-litre 'small block' V8, which was original fitment according to the car's vin number.

The seller states that the original owner in California had the engine rebuilt and carried out a lot of his own maintenance. As a result there is no paperwork for the works carried out.

The rest of the Fairlane’s specification is pretty much stock, with no power steering, power brakes or air-conditioning fitted to this model. It is quite likely pretty rare in its current standard, basic specification and colour scheme.

On the underside the Ranchero appears to be very solid, and has no doubt benefited from living the majority of its life in a warm and dry climate.

Those with a sharp eye will have spotted what appear to be yellow bars fitted to the rear suspension. The seller says these are “anti tramp bars” which reduce the chances of the rear axle “tramping” or jumping when pulling away quickly from a stop with no load in the rear bed.

The seller goes on to say that the Ford Fairlane Ranchero runs and drives as it should. He adds that he hasn’t serviced the car and has only used it sparingly since it arrived in the UK, so it would benefit from a full service.

History Highlights

Not much history comes with the car. It was first registered in the US on the 1st January 1967 and was first registered here in the UK in September 2022.

The Fairlane Ranchero’s V5C is on file which shows zero previous owners in the UK and its Registration Card from the US DMV, which is also on file, expired on 30th September 2022.

Also included are the pickup's California number plates, which are nice to have. There is also a small selection of spares included with the car, which are shown in the photos.

What We Think

Finding American classics with this much patina is hard, with some going to great lengths to replicate the look. It never quite works and nothing beats the real and genuine look of an old workhorse that has spent over 50 years soaking up all that glorious Californian sun. It certainly has left its mark on this car's gold paint, and we dig it. This 1967 Ford Fairlane Ranchero is a fantastic project that has huge potential. Personally we’d keep it as is and preserve the exterior. We’d even keep the interior as is. It could be upgraded with power steering and power brakes if the new owner so desired, to increase drivability, but regardless - out on the road this car will turn heads more than many cars ten times shinier! We think this characterful workhorse will fetch between £6,000-£10,000, but it is offered at no reserve, so the highest bid will take it.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

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