Last week, I shared a custom 1980s Ford Ranger that had been fixed up with Lincoln Continental looks — sort of. With that one out of the way, I felt, why not see the counterpart? Admittedly, the luxury barge customized for utilitarian use is more common (flower cars, ambulances, etc.), but here’s one of the better-sorted ones I came across, a 1971 Lincoln Continental Ranchero. Oops, I meant to say, Farm and Ranch Special:
Yes, nice little badge in white and (faded) gold. But why not Continental Ranchero, Lincolnchero or Rantinental? Why not make good use of that Ford heritage? Oh yeah, Ford is down the ladder, and this is Lincoln we’re talking here.
Online gossip comments mention this was one of three custom jobs built for car shows. Hard, if not impossible, to track that down. What’s easier to gather is that it was for sale on eBay back in 2011, and that it had been part of a personal car collection until close to that date.
The Lincolnchero carried the Continental’s 460cid V8 with 365HP, C6 automatic, and “all the amenities that come standard with a luxury Lincoln.” Which it better should, if not, what would be the point?
And a brief moment of fame; here’s an all white version in a 1979 President Electronics CB ad. A bit hard to see, but at the bottom, a small caption that may bring light on the Ranchinental’s origins: “Car courtesy of Vrooder Custom Coach, Los Angeles, Calif.”
I still prefer the 1986 Lincoln Ranger Continental for the eccentricity of that effort, but if I must pick one of these Ranch And Farm Specials, I’ll have mine in blue and white.
The pic of the lady with the huge fur coat on and a load of firewood in the back……shouldn’t she have “people” to do that for her?
She is on the phone complaining to her “people” that they failed to get her firewood, and she had to get it herself!
To me, an oddly attractive conversion. I’m typically not a huge fan of 1970s Lincolns or ranchero-like vehicles, but somehow (like peanut butter and chocolate in a Reese’s) jamming those two things together actually manages to work here.
Excellent CB ad too. It appears to me that the lady was out gathering firewood for her fox/sable/weasel farm and is now stuck on the snow-covered road (since traction in that thing, even with a load of sticks in the back, is likely poor). Fortunately, she’s been able to raise Lars on the CB and he’ll be along shortly to winch her out right after he dispatches a few more critters for their fur. I love the 70s.
“Lars, you SAID that you were going to fill the gasoline before I went to pick up the wood!”
DAHLing, where am I?
I like this .
I don’t think I’d ever buy it do to the V-ate’s fuel appetite but the idea and concept of “Flower Cars” has been a good one for me since the ‘Dagmar’ Cadillac cars in the mid 1950’s .
I’m just a mechanic but to me the idea of a “Gentleman’s Pickup Truck” has great appeal .
-Nate
Not my LINCOLN, but at least it was an attempt at making a service vehicle for the upper crust. I’m surprised that the Ewings (DALLAS) didn’t have one, to match Jocks MARK. Just asking, in the add with the woman in fur, were those LINCOLN LOGS? Anyone else remember them?
Is it just me, or does that wood in the back look hand-drawn and “loaded in” by an art department somewhere. If so, this could be the first time that fake wood is actually the payload rather than made very thin and pasted on the sides.
The ’61 and later Lincoln rear end, with sidebars and vertical taillights, is naturally suitable for a pickup bed. The big round lights of the ’57-’59 Ford and then the later Falcon and Fairlane forced a narrow tailgate.
The “Farm and Ranch Special” badges were straight off of a F-Series from the same era as the Lincoln.
https://oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/FMC%20Trucks-Vans/1969_Trucks-Vans/1969_Ford_Pickup_Brochure/1969%20Ford%20Pickup-10.html
I doubt this thing has ever seen a farm or a ranch. 😂
I love the execution on this one much better than lasts week’s attempt. This actually looks like it came from the factory that way.
The rear view of the car shows an access cover. While it’s probably a spare tire under there, if on considers the demographic that purchased Lincolns, I suspect it may be a hot tub. 😉 I seem to recall a Jay Leno’s Garage episode that featured a Cadillac equipped with one.
I did find some references online to Vrooder Autos (a Los Angeles used car and body shop) making three Mark III Rancheros, but those were identified as 1969 models. And car in the CB ad that’s credited to Vrooder seems to have the 1969 Mark III bumper (without the red reflectors). So I wonder if there were multiple versions of this idea out there?
I’m laughing at all of your comments. One thing that eludes you all, in my opinion, is that the bimbo in the weasel coat had been called by her husband to pick up the load of firewood because he was in meetings all day. She asked her girlfriend Marlene to accompany her, but Marlene’s husband needed her help. The company performing the out-of-frame overhauls on his twin marine Diesels needed a check. Marlene’s husband was in Alaska on a fishing trip. Oh, the complications! What would we do without wives to help out in a pinch? Mine is out in the north forty right now harvesting the last of our cabbage and kale.
She’s stuck in the snow, calling her boyfriend for help.
Sweet, I love one.