Ford Del Rio is First Produced
The Ford Del Rio was a full-size station wagon produced by the Ford Motor Company in the United States for model years 1957 and 1958.
The model was also marketed under the name Del Rio Ranch Wagon.
The impetus for the creation of the Del Rio was Ford’s desire to remain in the two-door sport wagon market started by the Chevrolet Nomad and Pontiac Safari, and the decision to discontinue the company’s original attempt at sport wagon, the premium Parklane, which failed to entice buyers during 1956, its only year in production.
While the Nomad was Chevrolet’s most expensive model, offering a premium vehicle with a show car inspired body style, the Del Rio was strictly based on an existing product, the utilitarian two-door Ranch Wagon, Ford’s least expensive station wagon.
Beginning with the basic body, buyers of the Del Rio offered a unique two-tone paint scheme (optional), better quality interior and exterior brightwork (including gold anodized aluminum accents) and a higher grade vinyl upholstery. Del Rio buyers also had their choice of either Ford’s “Mile-Maker” 144 hp six or its “Thunderbird” 212 hp V-8 power.
Like all other Ford station wagons at that time, the Del Rio used a two piece tailgate – a feature that dealers emphasized was an advantage over GM’s steeply raked rear-gate and self storing window which were known for water leaks in heavy rains.
While the Ford sold more Del Rio's in 1957 (46,105) than Chevrolet did with its Nomad in its three years of production, Ford terminated the Del Rio program at the end of the 1958 model year after selling only 12,687 of its "sport wagons".
The American station wagon has had many transformations over the years. The 1958 Ford Del Rio represents one version during an era of intense competition for the family-friendly vehicle market.
Station wagons had gone from being seen as commercial vehicles to being accepted as passenger cars. Wood body construction gave way to steel. And though four-door convenience made the most sense for such a vehicle, two-door wagons enjoyed a brief heyday that peaked in the mid 1950s.
Perhaps the most famous two-door wagon was the 1955-1957 Chevrolet Nomad. It boasted show car-inspired roof styling and top-end Bel Air-series appointments.
In the nature of their market competition of the day, anything that sales leader Chevrolet had, Ford wanted too. While Ford wasn't willing to create special body work for a custom two-door, it did fashion a premium model out of its basic Ranch Wagon.
When Ford went to all-steel wagon bodies for 1952, the Ranch Wagon was the entry-level model, albeit a popular one. Two years later, the mid-level Customline series added a Ranch Wagon companion to its four-door Coun try Sedan.
Then, in 1956, with the Nomad on the market, Ford fired back with the Parklane. It featured high-end Fairlane trim inside and out on a Ranch Wagon body. Its base price was $180 less than the Nomad's, and it outsold the fancy Chevy by about 2-to-1, though that came to just 15,186 cars.
Fords got all-new styling on a brand-new chassis for 1957. The Parklane didn't return for 1957, but there was something called the Del Rio Ranch Wagon. Fea turing the gold-anodized side trim of two-toned Custom 300 sedans, plus interior materials to match, it was a sort of cross between the Parklane and the former Custom Ranch Wagon.
The Del Rio carried over into 1958, but by then there was little need for it. Chevrolet had abandoned the specially bodied Nomad. From a healthy showing of 46,105 Del Rio Ranch Wagons for 1957, demand slumped to 12,687 of the 1958s.
In 1959, the Del Rio was replaced by a two-door Country Sedan, but having sold just 8,663 copies, it was drop ped. The last base two-door Ranch Wagon was the 1961.
Tom Turner's restored Del Rio Ranch Wagon seen here represents the reclamation of one of those relatively few 1958s. (To compare, even in a down sales year, Ford still made 89,000 four-door Country Sedans.)
It was pulled out of a junkyard as essentially a body and frame, then treated to a four-year restoration. After ward, Turner says he regularly drove the wagon from his home in Orange, Cali for nia, to his job in Los Ange les for a time.
Having started with so little, Turner was able to make the car what he wanted it to be. A new family of V-8 engines swept in for 1958, topped by a 300-bhp 352-cid mill with a four-barrel carburetor. Turner installed a 352 in his Del Rio, although it's a two-barrel version from later years. The transmission is a three-speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic, another new option for 1958 Fords.
The steering-wheel hub advertises the presence of Master-Guide power steering, and Turner has added power windows. He's also included an aftermarket air conditioner. The paint is a close match to the Colonial White and Torch Red of the period.
