How many 1964 rancheros were made?
About 60,000 Ford Rancheros were produced for the 1964 model year, though exact counts vary by source. This article surveys what is known and why numbers differ.
What is the 1964 Ranchero?
The Ranchero is Ford’s coupe utility, built on a Ford passenger-car platform and designed to blend car comfort with light pickup capability. The 1964 model year continued the Ranchero line on the Falcon-based platform and helped define Ford’s early-pare down, practical trucks for everyday use. Today, the 1964 Ranchero remains a collectible classic among enthusiasts.
How production numbers are reported
Before presenting numbers, it’s important to understand how car production counts are compiled. They can vary depending on whether counts include all units built, how many were shipped to dealers, and whether records reflect factory-to-dealer shipments or actual customer-ordered vehicles. Different registries and historians may tally differently.
Common sources that track these figures include classic car registries, enthusiast clubs, and historical data published by Ford or automotive media.
- Commonly cited total for 1964 Ranchero: around 60,000 units (estimates typically range from about 58,000 to 63,000).
- Alternative figures in some databases: occasionally show numbers just under or above 60,000, reflecting counting differences.
- Enthusiast club registries sometimes provide year-by-year breakdowns, but these are often estimates rather than official factory totals.
Verdict on numbers: while precise figures vary, most credible sources converge on roughly 60,000 Rancheros produced in the 1964 model year.
Contextual factors that affect the count
The 1960s saw production totals influenced by plant schedules, option packages, and regional distribution. The Ranchero’s popularity and pricing also shaped volumes, and public-record tallies from that era can be incomplete or inconsistently categorized by variant and option level.
- Model-year styling updates or production shifts can affect totals from year to year.
- Regional distribution and export shipments may alter the domestic registration totals used by some databases.
- Record-keeping practices in the era were less standardized than today, leading to discrepancies across sources.
In short, the best available estimate places the 1964 Ranchero production in the vicinity of 60,000 units, with precise figures differing slightly by source and counting method.
Additional context and methods for verification
For researchers seeking a precise figure, the most reliable approach is to consult Ford’s archived production data, contemporary dealer or service literature, and the records of recognized Ranchero registries. Updated archival material can refine or adjust historical totals over time.
Summary: The 1964 Ford Ranchero is commonly cited as having been produced in roughly 60,000 units, with a typical range of about 58,000 to 63,000 depending on counting methods and source. While not every tally matches exactly, this vicinity is the consensus among credible automotive historians and registries.
Conclusion
As a collectible, the 1964 Ranchero remains a distinctive example of Ford’s coupe-utility concept. The production figure helps illustrate its relative rarity, though the precise total continues to be refined as archival sources are revisited.
