Take a few moments to peruse the finer details of this publicity photo taken at the 1969 Detroit Auto Show. Should you presume that only lady car show models were seen in wide legged plaid pants in this era – consider yourself wrong. I personally had a few pair of these high styling pants, and, while I could consider my plaid pants days a good memory or a bad one, it’s a fact that I was captured in my high school graduation photos wearing pants similar to these. Yikes!
Now let’s look past the fashion and hair-dos to concentrate on the introduction of a 1969 Ford concept vehicle dubbed “The Scrambler”. I’m not sure that I would call this a ‘pickup’ truck as the Ford sign does, since it’s really more of an adaptation of a two door station wagon. Auto style and function was changing, and the idea was to dress up the existing Ranchero with go-fast goodies like a hood scoop and big block performance in order to win over the ever growing muscle car market segment.
Did you notice the motorbikes in the back bed of the Scrambler? Were Ford, and likewise Chevrolet with its El Camino, on to something with the idea of high performance big engine offerings in a supposed utility vehicle?
Auto Style and Function – Muscle Cars That Really Haul
You bet they were! In the late sixties and early seventies new performance offerings for the Ranchero and El Camino meant that any power hungry enthusiast had only to check off the right factory options to take delivery of one mean muscle machine.
Personally, station wagons have never appealed to me. That may be because I find it hard to get past recollections of the Griswald family’s Wagon Queen Family Truckster as seen in National Lampoon’s Vacation. So, it is somewhat surprising to me that a three quarters top chop of a typical station wagon can end up looking positively awesome. Better still; the open back bed afforded whole new payload flexibility. Now you had the ability to haul a motorcycle, Jet Ski, quad runner, or even your drag slicks and other racing accompaniments in the back.
Driving typical muscle cars to a favorite summer vacation spot (as a lot of us did) meant you could enjoy cruising in your ride on those warm weather nights. What could be better? Well, if you answered “getting to your vacation spot in your muscle car together with your other summer toys in the back”– the Ranchero or El Camino is the ticket.
The 1970 El Camino SS has the same handsome front end styling as the Chevelle Super Sport.
And, the 1970 Ranchero takes its styling cues from the Ford Torino.
Light weight over the rear axle means both trucks are going to have traction problems and melt through a few sets of tires quicker than most.
The El Camino could be ordered with the 360 horsepower 454 cubic inch LS5 engine, or, the big dog LS6 engine rated at 450 horsepower.
The Ranchero’s 429 cubic inch Cobra Jet big block engine had a 370 horsepower rating.
I’m often told how impractical my muscle car ride is. Not having much of a defense, I simply try to convey how the big power driving experience is invigorating, it’s a feeling that the common cookie cutter cars with four or six cylinder automatics just can’t deliver.
But hey, Ranchero or El Camino owners do have a practical vehicle. For example, while helping move all your buddies’ household possessions to a new home – you could make six fast back and forth trips in the time his rental truck makes one!
As usual, always thinking… see ya next time – Diamond Don
Photos from:
Chev Connection
MLM Enterprises
Hooniverse
