In 1957, the Ford Ranchero introduced the Australian-style coupe utility segment to the U.S. market. While the 1957 Ranchero was essentially a two-door wagon with the roof aft of the B-pillar removed, it offered the relief of a sedan with the payload of a half-ton pickup. GM responded two years later inside the U.S. with the total-size 1959 Chevrolet El Camino. After our Motor Trend Classic comparison story, we wish to know: Which utility truck would you rather drive

“The Ranchero gives the room and ‘personal’ feel of a Thunderbird, the relaxation of a sedan and the burden-carrying capacity of a small pickup,” said Motor Trend’s Walt Woron after testing the brand new 1957 Ranchero in our April 1957 issue. During our recent comparison we concluded that “The 1957 Ford Ranchero is a time machine that offers us a glimpse back at a uniquely optimistic and creative era of yank automobile styling. But in its day, the idiosyncratic car-truck also pointed to a brand new direction of 1-size-fits-all design that resonates with contemporary consumers.”

In our March 1959 issue, Motor Trend reviewed the El Camino: “Chevrolet’s El Camino sports high styling of the passenger-car line, yet provides space for a 1030-pound load. It will prove a hot competitor to Ford’s Ranchero during 1959.” After driving a mildly hot-rodded 1959 El Camino in our recent story, we said, “The El Camino is a sport/utility vehicle that a hot rodder can love without reservation. By combining the outlandish styling of the ’50s with the usefulness of a store truck, the El Camino is a parts chaser par excellence, yet perfectly adequate around town or at the car show circuit.”

The Ford Ranchero departed from the U.S. within the 1970s in the course of the fuel crisis, while the El Camino lived on until the top of the GM’s rear-drive G-body chassis in 1987. While both models had roots in Australia (1934 for Ford and 1951 for GM), similar vehicles survive Down Under from Ford and Holden as utes.

Vote in our poll below to inform us whether you will choose the fashionable Ranchero or the flashy El Camino. Read the comparison story here.

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