Coupe de Trunk

 

The Ford Ranchero is a coupe utility that was produced between 1957 and 1979. Ranchero was adapted from a two-door station wagon platform that integrated the cab and cargo bed into the body. A total of 508,355 units were produced during the model's production run. It was variously derived from full-sized, compact, and intermediate automobiles sold by Ford for the North American market. The original Ranchero sold so well General Motors introduced the Chevrolet El Camino two years later as competition.

Note: The "station" wagon refers specifically to train stations, where people and their luggage were shuttled to and from train depots. The very first vehicles recognized as being station wagons were largely custom wooden-bodied variants of Model Ts which were known as "depot hacks." "Hack" referred to "hackney", a horse-drawn taxi. There are more than a half-dozen different names used worldwide instead of "station wagon."

A Tidy Lincoln

 

American auto enthusiasts probably are aware that Ford Motor Company's studies for the 1961 "bullet" Thunderbird looked a lot like the Lincoln Continental up front---a stretched version for the T-bird---which lost its slab sides and squared fenders to the Lincoln. But the family resemblance in the grille design remained. 

As beautifully subtle as the Lincoln was from three-quarter views, the side profile has become a bit dated over time due to the technology and designers of the era. The symmetry of the interior cabin right in the middle suggests it is either coming or going. Above is my suggestion of what Lincoln might have done to its first generation of new Continentals---shortening the overhang on the front and slicing about eight inches off the rear. This makes for a slightly asymmetric balance of the cabin. The subtle change presents a more cohesive design overall.