It’s been about two weeks since Ford announced the name of its highly anticipated and affordable first vehicle from the all-new Universal Electric Vehicle platform. It’s a very big deal at Ford, with company CEO Jim Farley even saying it represents the automaker’s next “Model T moment.”
The world (and us) thought it would be called Ranchero, but then the name was announced: Fathom. Confidence in Dearborn in this new electric truck must be absolutely unbridled, with zero concerns from the marketing team that future headline writers will use “sinking to the depths” to describe Fathom sales or Ford’s financial results.
Ford Universal EV platformFord
And yet, after two weeks, snide remarks about the name and its “sink or swim” or “deeply confused” connotations persist, not to mention the musings and memes of EV trucks coming equipped with snorkels so they can go underwater. Come on people, give it a rest. At least Fathom is an actual name and not some forgettable alphanumeric nomenclature. Still, the conversation is approaching peak Ranchero. Why in the world did Ford choose a new name instead of reviving the brand equity that still lives in the old one?
Okay, It’s Fun To Say, ‘Ranchero’
What many old timers really wanted was for the Ranchero name to be resurrected, paying homage to the two-door, low-riding trucklet with an open bed that stretched up to seven feet. During its production run from 1957 to 1979, Ford sold more than a half-million Rancheros, with the most memorable versions looking like a Torino from the A-pillar forward. My Dad had a deep green Torino-based Ranchero in the 1970s, and I thought it was cool, except for the big oil stains on the driveway.
1961 1970 and 1978 ford ranchero sales brochuresFord
Yes, the Ranchero is a fun name from the Ford archive, and it might be worth resurrecting, but analyst Sam Abuelsamid says it makes sense that the automaker opted for a completely new nameplate. “Honestly, I don’t think most customers are going to care,” Abuelsamid, vice president of Telemetry Insights, tells CarBuzz via email. With a starting price below $30,000, the four-door Fathom will be assembled at Ford’s Louisville, Kentucky, plant, starting next year.
“Most of the normal and frankly younger customers that are going to be most interested in a Fathom would likely never have heard of the Ranchero and would have no connection to it.”
–Sam Abuelsamid, VP of Telemetry Insights
How about the Ranchero name coming back for another product? Not likely, Abuelsamid says, “unless they maybe do a two-door version of Fathom. It doesn’t really seem to fit with any likely product.”
Ford Considered Ranchero. Here’s Why It Lost
According to Ford, there was nearly a full year devoted to deciding on a name. However, at the end of it all, this truck is something completely new – a new design, new platform, built in a new manner. It needed a new name.
“Fathom is an all-new vehicle, developed from the ground up on the new Universal Electric Vehicle Platform, using the new assembly tree manufacturing process and bringing new technology to Ford and the industry,” said Kay Hart, general manager of Ford Model e. “All of these innovations called for a new, bold name – to give the vehicle personality, a soul, and make it a character in our customer’s life. This is the future of modern Ford.”
1972 Ford Ranchero and Ford UEV Fathom prototype testingFord
CarBuzz reached out to Ford today to dig just a bit deeper. The communications team confirmed via email that Ranchero was certainly considered and tested in clinics, along with other legacy nameplates.
“However, each option we looked at came with specific implications, which we felt might not fit the new electric truck.”
The jury might be out on the name, but Ford remains hopeful truck shoppers will come around. “It’s still new. Once people see the truck and what it offers, they’ll love it regardless of their thoughts about the name,” the spokesperson told CarBuzz.
1957 Ford Ranchero front 3/4Ford
As for the Fathom’s target audience, Ford tells us to expect “a mix of existing Ford owners and a good portion of customers who will be new to the Ford brand who are looking for an exciting, affordable electric vehicle that offers a ton of value and fits their changing needs.”
Ford EV Truck Ranchero Spy PhotoCarBuzz / Valnet
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters
“Ford Fathom” isn’t such a bad name. It rolls off the tongue easily enough and employs alliteration, like so many other famous Fords – Falcon, Fusion, Focus, and of course, F-150. Ignore the social media cesspool and at least give the name a chance. Also controversial is the Ferrari Luce nameplate, and yet Ferrari just sold the first production unit for $40 million at Pebble Beach, setting an auction price record for a new car. Take that, social media.
If the Fathom hits the mark, like Maverick before it, the name won’t matter. Price, quality, and performance are much more important.
