Blessed with a way with adjectives, James C. Mays shares his affection for the Ford Ranchero throughout this compact-sized chronological history from 2004, with a forward by Patrick Ertel, who was then the editor of Vintage Truck. The part-car and part-truck Ranchero offered a stylish yet ever practical solution to meeting the needs of the increasingly suburban-based American family. Coverage also includes the Canadian Meteor Ranchero and the Australian versions. Mays adeptly combines photographs that accompany the text on nearly every page, specifications, and sales figures, as well as advertising quotations to survey each model year. The rakish Ranchero, based on the full-size 1957 Ford Ranch Wagon, debuted in 1957. The cute-as-a-button Falcon Ranchero appeared in 1960. For 1967, the Ranchero based on the Ford Galaxie was, as Mays puts it, “once again crowned with a glittering tiara as Ford’s glamour queen,” while the sleek and lean 1968 Ranchero was new from the ground up. The 1970 version began a series of models based on the Torino until 1977, when the Ranchero was based on the LTD II for its final three years. Intended as an appreciation of the Ford Ranchero, this history book should also merit appreciation from the marque’s many enthusiasts.

Book Review by Robert Gabrick