Today is not what most would call a landmark day in automotive history. For the majority of the public it's not even newsworthy. But it means a bit of something to me.
Today is the final day of production for the Ford Ranger in the US. After today there will be no more of the compact pickups sold in America, and in fact the last one off the line is already spoken for.
This kind of makes me sad. The Ranger might not have been the most powerful or the most stylish, but it was a good little work truck and well-designed for its purpose. It'd never win any beauty contests, but it'd never fail to get the job done. So why is Ford killing it? There's a few reasons.
First of all, the Ranger as it is now dates back to model year 1995. It's been over a decade and a half since it's had a major overhaul. In terms of safety, engine technology and the like it's well behind the times. It would cost Ford a fortune to redesign the truck to meet upcoming safety, emissions and economy standards and it just wasn't worth it to them.
Second, for all its good qualities the truck just wasn't competitive in the market anymore. It didn't sell anywhere near as well as when it was last updated in the mid-90s, overshadowed and eventually outgrown by its competition from Chevy, GMC, Dodge, Nissan and Toyota. All their "small" trucks got bigger, more powerful and more luxurious. The Ranger..didn't.
I kinda like the little thing though. And as the last truly compact pickup, I'll be sad to see it go. Small as it was, it served a purpose and filled a niche in the market for people who just wanted a small, basic truck to do stuff with.
I find the Ranger's demise somewhat fitting though. The last Ranger won't be going into a museum, or made into a memorial. No, the last one is going to work, just like all the ones before it. Orkin Pest Control has bought the final Ranger off the assembly line, and it'll do regular service in its corporate fleet. I think that's the right thing to do.
Goodbye, Ranger. Not enough people will miss you.
I've always had a soft spot for the Rangers (and the mazda B-Series that shared the same platform).
ReplyDeleteWhat is truly sad is that Ford is producing a new Ranger, but odds are we won't see it since the Compact Pickup Truck market here is overshadowed by the Full-Size Pickup market.