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Is The Ranchero Coming Back, too?


jaydub Mach1

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I've always been a fan of the Ranchero and El Caminos and have owned a few of them in the past but this Holden Ute will not be a success here.

 

At one time Rancheros & El Caminos sold in large numbers because trucks were trucks and there was a demand for a Cowboy Cadillac. What I mean by trucks were trucks is that the majority of trucks sold were utility vehicles with vinyl floor covering, a vinyl bech seat, no headliner and a am radio.

 

Because the Rancheros & El Caminos were based off a car platform you could get leather seats, deep shag carpet, cruise control, power this and power that. A luxury car upfront with a reduced pick up bed in the back. But then came the 1980's when trucks started to become commuter cars and eventually would come with most any option that a Lincoln came with.

 

So now GM thinks they can bring a front heavy ute with little weight over the rear wheels that is just going to spin the rear tires with a LS2 engine and think its going to sell? Well if they think that their GTO car was a failure they going to be in for a real surprise with the El Camino.

 

Steve

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This is a type of vehicle that has continued to succed in Australia but died in North America many years ago. My guess is that it won't be a huge success. This is a vey small niche market vehicle at the very best. However, GM is not taking a big risk here since it is derived from the same platform as the G8 sedan. Since the G8 sedan has already been adapted to the US market, the additional cost needed th adapt this australian "pickup" should not be very high.

 

It seems GM's strategy of late has been to leverage its resources worldwide and use them to create new models for its North American brands. For instance, Saturn's product line is now closely aligned on those of the European Opel brand. Having Pontiac use Holden's platforms for some of its products is a smart idea providied that GM gives the cars styling that clearly identify the cars as Pontiacs (which was lacking from the GTO). Powerful rear drive vehucles should be the focus of Pontiac if it is to be the "excitement" division and distinguish itself from the other GM divisions. There is no point in having that many divisions if they are all covering the same market, as they too often did in the past (and sometime still do) at GM.

 

I think Ford should also look at its European and Australian model portfolio and bring to the US those models that are the most attractive. On the car side of things, besides the Mustang, there are not a lot of exciting products currently in Ford's North American lineup IMHO. Looking at what the company is doing eslewhere in the world might help.

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This is a type of vehicle that has continued to succed in Australia but died in North America many years ago. My guess is that it won't be a huge success. This is a vey small niche market vehicle at the very best. However, GM is not taking a big risk here since it is derived from the same platform as the G8 sedan. Since the G8 sedan has already been adapted to the US market, the additional cost needed th adapt this australian "pickup" should not be very high.

 

It seems GM's strategy of late has been to leverage its resources worldwide and use them to create new models for its North American brands. For instance, Saturn's product line is now closely aligned on those of the European Opel brand. Having Pontiac use Holden's platforms for some of its products is a smart idea providied that GM gives the cars styling that clearly identify the cars as Pontiacs (which was lacking from the GTO). Powerful rear drive vehucles should be the focus of Pontiac if it is to be the "excitement" division and distinguish itself from the other GM divisions. There is no point in having that many divisions if they are all covering the same market, as they too often did in the past (and sometime still do) at GM.

 

I think Ford should also look at its European and Australian model portfolio and bring to the US those models that are the most attractive. On the car side of things, besides the Mustang, there are not a lot of exciting products currently in Ford's North American lineup IMHO. Looking at what the company is doing eslewhere in the world might help.

Agreed!

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I dont really like it much, beside not looking very good its almost useless

michael morris

 

I'll have to whole-heartly agree. I've never liked El Caminos and never really saw the point of owning one - maybe in the days before the Ford Ranger and Chevy S10 or Colorado, but now you can get an actual truck at about the same size. I don't think this new version is retro enuogh to the original to even attract a large percentage of the die-hard El Camino fans.

 

Matt

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