The Mercury Durango That Never Was: Ford's Forgotten Ute Predecessor

A Lifeline for the Dying Ranchero

When Ford pulled the plug on its LTD II-based Ranchero in 1979, it left a hole in the market — especially with Chevrolet's restyled El Camino gaining traction. Despite having all the ingredients for a new ute in the Fairmont range (swoopy coupe body, wagon platform), Ford simply didn't have the financial muscle or engineering resources to develop a factory successor.

According to Hagerty, that's where Los Angeles coachbuilder National Coach Works stepped in. The result was the Ford Durango, a Fairmont-derived utility that filled the Ranchero's boots in small numbers. But here's the twist: Mercury nearly got there first.

Mercury's Lost Opportunity

This recently unearthed 1979 prototype shows Mercury dealers were set to receive their own version of the Durango, likely based on the Zephyr platform. The business case probably made sense — low-volume conversions spread development costs, and Lincoln-Mercury dealers already had experience selling the Continental Mark V St. Tropez, another coachbuilt utility from American Custom Coachworks.

In the end, though, the Mercury Durango remained a might-have-been. Production Durangos wore Ford badges and used Fairmont Futura styling instead.

Why It Matters

While coupe utilities never achieved the same cultural status in North America as they did Down Under, these rare conversions represent an fascinating chapter in Detroit's response to changing markets. With Ford lacking General Motors' resources and the legendary Fisher Body division, outsourcing to specialist coachbuilders kept the ute dream alive — even if only briefly.

For collectors, this Mercury prototype is a genuine oddity: a pre-production vehicle from a line that never saw the light of day, representing a path not taken in Ford's 1970s lineup.