Woodgrain trim has cycled in and out of popularity as a form of automotive style since the dawn of motoring. The 1960-70s saw a huge rise in its use, with wood treatment showing up on station wagons, pickups, and sport utility vehicles. At the time, automakers had already shifted to the use of faux vinyl.
Recently, I came across a 1970 Ford Ranchero Squire. I had previously seen woodgrain trim on a Country Squire station wagon, but this was the first time I laid eyes on it in coupe-utility form. The same treatment was also used on the Torino Squire wagon.
The Ranchero, first brought to market in 1957, leveraged car-based underpinnings but added the utility of a cargo bed. It was already in its fifth generation by 1970, sharing a platform with the Fairlane/Torino and marketed toward people who wanted a vehicle with max versatility.
Ford promoted the fact that Ranchero could wear multiple hats. One advertisement said that it had both “sass and class.” Sass, when ordered as a Ranchero GT with sporty wheel options, hood scoop, four-on-the-floor shifter, and a 429ci V-8. And class, when ordered as the Ranchero Squire.
Ford called Ranchero Squire the “most comfortable, most luxurious pickup of them all. Rich, wood-tone paneling inside and out. Deep-pile, wall-to-wall carpeting joins breathable vinyl upholstery in a long list of standard fancy touches. And to personalize your Squire, choose such options as AM/FM stereo, vinyl roof, SelectAire conditioner, SelectShift Cruise-O-Matic transmission, and any of six peppery powerplants.”
The Medium Ivy Green Metallic (code P) Ranchero Squire at the Cave Creek show stood out to me for being in remarkable shape both inside and out. Visually, the only exterior modification I could call out was the set of polished aluminum aftermarket wheels.
Inside, the use of woodgrain trim continued, and I also enjoyed the Yosemite Sam floor mats.
It was fitting that the car was parked next to its arch nemesis, the Chevrolet El Camino. In the 1960-70s, the two vehicles went head-to-head in the same competitive space. Ford eventually discontinued the Ranchero after 1979, but Chevrolet continued producing El Camino through 1987.
It’s fun to think of Ranchero as a predecessor to today’s car-based pickups. Would the fancy Squire version somewhat be the ancestor of the Ford Maverick with the Lariat package (upgraded sound, wireless charging, power-sliding rear window)? The definition of upscale might not include woodgrain trim any longer, but the Maverick might look good with it …
