Last Ranger off the line today...

[LaRue Medlin]

The last Ford Ranger that rolled off the assembly line today wasn't fancy: just a plain, white pickup truck destined for service at a pest-control company.But it did symbolize the end of an era.



The Ranger will be the last vehicle produced at Ford's Twin Cities Assembly Plant in Minnesota, which offered high-wage manufacturing jobs for 86 years and produced everything from Model Ts to Country Squires.



While Ford has been hiring at its other plants, Twin Cities is being closed because Ford is pulling out of the small pickup business in the U.S. Over the years, the plant produced 6 million vehicles and most recently employed about 800 workers.



The last pickup is going to Orkin, the pest-control giant that was one of the best customers for the Ranger pickup.

 

[Timmy-The-Ute]

All the result of Pres. Obama. CAFE standards.:btddhorse:

 

[James Easley]

shame.

 

[gyates]

It is a shame. I owned 3 Rangers over the years and was really happy with all of them. I moved up to a Sport Trac for the passenger space and now they killed it too. I am death to auto models. lol!!

 

[Bill Faulder]

While Parts Manager at Local Ford Dealership for 31 years I drove Dealer supplied Rangers from the start of the Ranger introduction. For parts delivery vehicles I used the Ford Couriers until the Ranger was introduced. Continued with many Rangers and pulled trailer to deliver larger orders. Dealer changed the Company supplied vehicle program in 1986 so continued tp purchase and drive Rangers. Started with Regular Cab models. Had one Diesel. Continued with Super Cab models and wishing and waiting for a Ranger "Super-Crew". Finally gave up on the wait and purchased a Sport Trac in 2007. I still have it and making it last hoping that Ford will have something in this size to offer when I must replace it. I love F-150'S but would overfill my garage and I don't need full size truck. I live in Condo and have small farm 8 miles away. The Sport Trac is perfect vehicle for me. Fits in garage along with Wife's Van. Perfect for runs to the farm. Can place it in 4WD and tour the farm, go home, wash it, and drive my family to church.



Message to Ford. The Wifes Van I mentioned that I park the Trac beside is now a VW. After eagerly buying one of the first Aerostar Vans when they were introduced and then following it with two Windstar Vans I was forced to a Chrysler and now a VW (Chrysler built) Van after you exited the Van Market. Please don't force me to someday park some other brand mid size truck next to that Van !



I would prefer to have all FORD's in my Garage !



Bill Faulder, Former Parts Manager at Hal Gilliam Ford Sales; New Carlilse, Ohio

 

[Makin Trax]

Along with the market I feel like Ford abandoned me. I do not want a F-150, they are nice but far from my needs regardless of gas mileage this is where you need to listen Ford so I will say it loud for you I BOUGHT 5 RANGERS FROM YOU AND NOW OWN AN AGEING SPORT TRAC AND I WILL NOT BE BUYING A F-150 REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE OR DRIVETRAIN OPTIONS I NEED A CREWCAB MIDSIZE AND I WILL FIND ONE WITH OR WITHOUT A FORD OVAL ON THE FRONT. I have owned 13 Ford 10 of which I have bought "brand new" so you owe it to me and others like ME to build what I want to buy. GM , TOYOTA ,DODGE and NISSAN all feel like there is a market why don't you ? Bring the "global" Ranger here with the I-4 ecoboost motor in a crew cab it should get about 27-29 mpg that would make everyone happy tree huggers and all ! I WANT TO BUY A FORD !

 

[blksn8k]

The biggest issue I see with Ford trying to bring the T6 Ranger here is the 25% "chicken" tax on imported trucks and the fact that they seemingly have nowhere to build it in North America to avoid that tax. That seems a little hard to imagine considering all the plants they have closed over the past few years. GM has decided to sell and build the 2013 Colorado in the US so, hopefully, that will prompt Ford to get off their butts and solve this problem. Some thought they were waiting to sign a new UAW contract before making any announcement but so far that has not proven out. There could also be an issue with the engine lineup in the T6 Ranger. Right now, the top of the line engines are diesels. Not saying that needs to change but they would need to either certify those for the US or adapt gas alternatives. None of these issues are insurmountable and they may already be working on them but all of the recent announcements from Ford say otherwise. They are also doing their best to convince consumers that a big-arse V6 F-150 is really what they need. That might work for awhile but as soon as the competition has better midsize alternatives they will start losing sales. Looks to me like they f'd up when they decided not to build either the now defunct F-100 or the T6 Ranger here and now they are trying to make the best of a bad decision. I hope they have something up their sleeves but they certainly aren't acting like it. The only rumors out there say they are working on a lighter but just as capable F-150. That still says "too big" to me...:banghead:



Ford has managed to keep other decisions secret or prolonged like the death of Mercury so let's hope they have a plan to offer a smaller truck here and they just aren't ready or willing to say so. Maybe they are waiting for GM to announce the engine lineup for the 2013 Colorado so they can trump them with another surprise like the 650 hp 2013 GT500.

 

[Makin Trax]

If they are "worried" about lthe loss of F series sales the could call it the f-100 Ranger Kinda like they did with the Sport trac calling it an Explorer to keep the sales number high. I'm tellin ya Ford you are messing up If you don't have the product people want to buy loyalty will leave and go to another brand. there has got to be a US plant to build these in low volume if need be, even if it means to break even to keep a customer.. THINK FORD THINK !!! customer is always right........ RIGHT?!

 

[Makin Trax]

If they are "worried" about lthe loss of F series sales the could call it the f-100 Ranger Kinda like they did with the Sport trac calling it an Explorer to keep the sales number high. I'm tellin ya Ford you are messing up If you don't have the product people want to buy loyalty will leave and go to another brand. there has got to be a US plant to build these in low volume if need be, even if it means to break even to keep a customer.. THINK FORD THINK !!! customer is always right........ RIGHT?!

 

[Makin Trax]

If they are "worried" about lthe loss of F series sales the could call it the f-100 Ranger Kinda like they did with the Sport trac calling it an Explorer to keep the sales number high. I'm tellin ya Ford you are messing up If you don't have the product people want to buy loyalty will leave and go to another brand. there has got to be a US plant to build these in low volume if need be, even if it means to break even to keep a customer.. THINK FORD THINK !!! customer is always right........ RIGHT?!

 

[Makin Trax]

If i said it once i've said it three times...LOL I have no idea why it posted three times.