Here at Hooniverse, we already showcased a Ford Durango Pickup that was listed on Craigslist. However, Automotive Travelers own Sam Fiorani discovered another Malaise Era Ford that took a Fairmont Futura hardtop that was turned it into a pickup, and it’s for sale at a bargain price!

A little history about car based pickups is always a good start, and Sam describes it better than I can.

Years before pickups were considered alternatives to sedans for daily use, Ford bridged the gap between “truck” and “car” with the Ranchero. When it was introduced in 1957, there was nothing else quite like it. Based on the full-sized station wagon, the Ranchero replaced everything behind the front seat with an integrated pickup truck bed. Like every other idea in the automotive industry, the concept of a car-truck hybrid was quickly copied. Chevrolet launched the El Camino for the 1959 model year. With a hiatus from 1961 through 1963, the El Camino followed Ford’s lead for 20 years. When the Ranchero was downsized, Chevy’s El Camino moved to the intermediate platform. These rivals remained through the 1970s.

We all know that the Ford vs Chevy rivalry was going on constantly, but it seems that Ford dropped the ball on a product that it launched in 1957. Sam picks up the story….

For the 1978 model year, General Motors introduced the downsized A-body platform, and with it, the downsized El Camino. Ford’s financial condition had been weakened, and its mid-sized platform held out through the 1979 LTD II. Ford had not prepared a proper Ranchero replacement. As a last attempt to capture some of the car-based truck market, Ford looked to Gardena, California-based National Coach Corporation for help. Primarily an airport-limo converter, National Coach took the Ford Fairmont Futura sporty coupe, removed the bodywork aft of the thick B-pillar, and crafted a fiberglass cargo bed in its place. The body lines of the Futura, including the rear panel reconfigured into a tailgate, seemed pre-designed for conversion into a pickup. The whole package only added 50 pounds in the transformation. The new model was dubbed Durango.

I never knew that Ford wasn’t going to build this on its own. Anyway, moving onto the subject at hand.

Built in 1980 and 1981, the Durango’s production numbers range from a low estimate of 80 to high estimates of 210 or 220. With prices in the $9,000 range, the Durango held a $2,500 premium over the standard Fairmont. The Fairmont ended production in 1983, and National Coach closed its doors around 1990. This vehicle, which appears to be the 67th built, is making its appearance at the Carlisle car corral this spring. To make room for his other car projects, the car is now being offered for just $5,495–about half its original retail price.

So is this Durango worthy of your $5,500? It’s a great looking car/truck, and I would lust for it, but what about you? Read the entire post at Automotive Traveler.