When talking about a Durango we usually think about the SUV that Dodge introduced in 1997. But believe it or not, Ford also sold a vehicle with a “Durango” badge. It happened from 1979 to 1982 and the vehicle in question was a coupe utility.
Don’t worry if you haven’t heard about it. Even though it was produced for three model years, the Ford Durango wasn’t exactly a full-fledged production model. Only 212 examples were built, which also makes it a rare gem among small pickup trucks. But what prompted Ford to build the Durango?
Well, with the Ford Ranchero set to be discontinued in 1979 after 22 years on the market, the company commissioned National Coach Works of Los Angeles, California, to design a potential competitor to the newly downsized Chevrolet El Camino.
The Durango was created around the Ford Fairmont Futura two-door coupe, a car that shared the Fox platform with the third-generation Mustang. National Coach Works removed the roof, trunk, and rear seating area behind the B-pillar, replacing them with a fiberglass cargo bed.
The rear fascia retained the Fairmont’s taillight and license plate setup but was redesigned into a fold-down tailgate. Because of this, the Durango was produced with a disclaimer warning drivers from driving with the tailgate down.
There’s no specific data as to how many of these small trucks were built, but most Ford historians agree that National Coach Works put together 212 conversions from 1979 to 1982. While Ford planned to turn the Durango into a full-fledged production model, the project was reportedly scrapped when the man who designed the vehicle passed away.
Come 2022 and the Ford Durango is an unknown nameplate. And needless to say, fewer than 212 of these trucks are still around. So it’s quite a big deal that YouTube’s “Junkyard Digs” stumbled across one in Missouri and rescued it from a sad life in a garage.
In storage since 2012, this 1981 Durango is still in one piece and it’s been maintained quite well. However, it’s no longer finished in its blue factory paint, as a previous owner opted to respray it in a two-tone, white-over-blue combo. The interior was also refinished in the same colors for a 1950s-inspired look.
Does it still run? Well, our host had a few issues bringing it back to life after 10 years without a sip of gasoline, but the engine still has what it takes to move this car with a bed. Speaking of which, all Durangos were fitted with a 200-cubic-inch (3.3-liter) inline-six engine rated at only 94 horsepower.
He also had to deal with a sieged rear drum brake, but he eventually managed to fix it and move the Durango out of the garage.
He didn’t quite make it home though. The 400-mile drive proved troublesome for the pickup and it had to be put on a trailer to complete the trip.
All told, while it’s not the prettiest and fastest coupe utility out there, the Ford Durango is a rare and quirky vehicle that needs to be seen. Because it’s the unknown successor to the Ranchero. And Ford’s last coupe utility vehicle.