From 1957 to 1979, Ford produced the intriguing Ranchero pickup, officially classified as a ‘coupe utility’ vehicle or a ‘ute’ in Australia, where it had its own Falcon Ute counterpart. The Ranchero endured through seven generations before meeting its demise, but the nameplate continued to exist until the early 1990s in South America.
While the chances of Ford reviving the Ranchero are about as slim as a toothpick at a sumo wrestling match, that hasn’t stopped one imaginative designer from conjuring up a vision of what a modern-day interpretation could look like.
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The man behind this creation, Oscar Vargas, has decided to base his Ranchero on the latest-generation Ford Mustang, codenamed S750. Given that he currently owns a Dodge Charger that’s being converted into a pickup truck by Smyth Performance, this makes perfect sense. Ford has also shown it is happy to use the famed Mustang badge for new vehicles, most notably with the Mustang Mach-E.
The front half of the Mustang-based Ranchero remains largely unchanged from a regular example, but it gains a touch of aggression with the addition of flared front wheel arches and a prominent power dome on the hood. The more substantial modifications begin just behind the doors, where the Mustang’s cabin is cleaved in two, making way for an apparently roomy bed in the rear.
Helping to give the car some added flair is a large rear wing and flared rear wheel arches to match those at the front.
For as cool as a Mustang-based ute would be, we seriously doubt that it’s included in Ford’s future plans, and that’s a darn pity.
Note: This is an independent design study by Oscar Vargas and has not been endorsed by Ford.
