Way back in 1934 those Ford of Australia designers and engineers had the right idea - to create a coupe utility or unibody pickup truck that could haul farm stuff during the week and be driven in comfort and class with the spouse to church on Sunday. The practical vehicle came to be known down under as simply a ute. 

Ford introduced the Ranchero, a vehicle classified as a coupe utility, at the New York Auto Show on December 8, 1956. Though this was a new vehicle for the American market, some 22 years earlier Ford of Australia designer, Lew Bandt penned the first coupe utility in 1934. This was in response to Australian ranchers, who desired a vehicle that was rugged enough to haul livestock during the week and sufficiently elegant to go to church with the spouse on Sunday. This coupe utility became known as a ute in Australia. With a production run of 82 years (1934-2016), the ute was a smashing success down under. Read on as we take a look back at Ford Ranchero history from 1957 through 1979.