Ford · 1982–present

Ford Ranger Americas

The Ford Ranger is a range of pickup trucks manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company in North and South America under the Ford Ranger nameplate. Introduced in early 1982 for the 1983 model year, the Ranger is currently in its fifth generation. Developed as a replacement for the Mazda-sourced Ford Courier, the model line has been sold across the Americas; Ford of Argentina began production of the Ranger for South America in 1998. Through its production, the model line has served as a close rival to the Chevrolet S-10 and its Chevrolet Colorado successor (and their GMC counterparts), with the Ranger as the best-selling compact truck in the United States from 1987 to 2004. From 2012 to 2018, the Ranger model line was retired in North America as Ford concentrated on its full-size F-Series pickup trucks. For the 2019 model year, Ford introduced a fourth generation of the Ranger (after a seven-year hiatus). The first mid-size Ranger in North America, the model line is derived from the globally marketed Ford Ranger (revised to fulfill North American design requirements). The first three generations of the Ranger were produced by Ford at its Louisville Assembly (Louisville, Kentucky), Edison Assembly (Edison, New Jersey), and Twin Cities Assembly (Saint Paul, Minnesota) facilities; the final 2012 Ranger was the final vehicle produced at the St. Paul facility. The current fourth-generation Ranger is manufactured by Ford at Wayne Stamping & Assembly (Wayne, Michigan). Ford of Argentina produced the Ranger in its General Pacheco plant from 1998 to 2011; it replaced the North American–designed version of the Ranger with the current Ranger T6 for 2012 production.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Ford Courier

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Development

=== Ford Courier (1972–1982) === For the 1972 model year, the Ford Courier was introduced as the first compact pickup truck sold by Ford. Following the rise of the compact truck segment during the 1960s, Ford entered into a partnership with Mazda to market the Mazda B1800 in North America; the Courier would become the first of several jointly manufactured vehicles between the two companies from the 1970s into the 2000s. Along with minimizing the risk for Ford of developing a vehicle in an unfamiliar market segment, the partnership provided Mazda with critically needed funds. While sharing the cab and chassis with its Mazda counterpart, to increase its sales potential in North America, the Courier adapted design elements of the Ford F-Series, with twin round headlamps, silver grille, and "FORD" lettering on the hood above the grille. In 1977, the Courier and B1800 (later B2000) were redesigned with a larger cab, redesigned pickup bed, and tailgate. While closer in appearance to its Mazda counterpart, the Courier was given signal/parking lamps inset in the grille (rather than the bumper); an optional 2.3L Ford engine was not available in the Mazda pickups. From 1972 to 1982, the Ford Courier was manufactured alongside the Mazda B-Series in Hiroshima, Japan. To avoid the 25% Chicken Tax on imported trucks, both vehicles were imported as chassis-cab trucks (taxed at 4% tariff). Following their importation to United States, pickup truck beds shipped separately from Japan were installed before shipment to dealers. Project Yuma (1976–1982). In 1976, Ford commenced development on "Project Yuma" as a replacement for the Courier. In addition to designing the first domestically produced compact truck, another key factor driving the $700 million project was compliance with the fue

Production

The Ranger was produced at the Louisville Assembly Plant in Louisville, Kentucky, from 1982 to 1999. From 1993 to 2004, production also was sourced from Edison Assembly in Edison, New Jersey. For its entire production run until 2011, the Ranger was produced at the Twin Cities Assembly Plant in St Paul, Minnesota. The final 2012 Ranger produced on December 16, 2011, ended 86 years of production at Twin Cities Assembly as well as the production of all compact pickups in the United States. In 2008, Ford made its first plans to end production of the Ranger in North America, although its high productivity spared it from The Way Forward. Twin Cities Assembly (built in 1925) was the oldest Ford factory in the world. Ford later extended the closure date of the factory to 2011, but in June 2011, a final closure date was announced. As Twin Cities was the sole production location of the Ranger in North America (from 1982), its closure brought the production of the Ranger to an end after 29 model years. The 2011 model year was the final model year for retail sales, with a shortened 2012 model year for fleet sales; the final North American market Ranger (a white SuperCab Sport produced for pest-control company Orkin) was produced just before 10 a.m. local time on December 16, 2011. Over its production life, the chassis and suspension of the Ranger would be used for several compact Ford trucks and sport-utility vehicles. During the 1990s and 2000s, Mazda adopted a badge-engineered version of the Ranger, for their B-Series nameplate (the reverse of the Ford Courier produced by Mazda). In 2015, as part of contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers, leaked reports over the future of the Michigan Assembly Plant included the potential decision of replacing Ford Focus and Ford C-Ma

First generation (1983)

The first Ranger rolled off the Louisville assembly line on January 18, 1982. While initially slated for a traditional autumn release, to more closely compete with the introduction of the Chevrolet S-10, Ford advanced the launch of the 1983 Ranger several months, with the first vehicles reaching showrooms in March 1982. Initially sold alongside its Courier predecessor, the first 1983 Ranger was priced at US$6,203 (equivalent to $20,694 in 2025). While far smaller in exterior size than the F-Series, 4×4 Rangers offered a payload of 1,600 pounds, matching or exceeding the F-100 in payload capacity. For 1984, the Ford Bronco II two-door SUV was introduced. Similar in size to the 1966–1977 Bronco, the Bronco II used a shortened version of the Ranger chassis, along with much of its interior components. For the 1989 model year, the Ranger underwent a major mid-cycle revision to improve its exterior aerodynamics and interior ergonomics. For 1991, the Ford Explorer SUV was derived from the facelifted Ranger, sharing its front fascia, chassis, and interior components. Chassis specification. The first-generation Ranger uses a body-on-frame chassis design; while using a chassis developed specifically for the model line, the Ranger adopts many chassis design elements from the F-Series. Along with traditional leaf-spring rear suspension, the Ranger is fitted with Twin I-Beam independent front suspension. To minimize unsprung weight, the Twin I-Beams were constructed of stamped high-strength steel (rather than forged steel). Rear-wheel drive was standard, with part-time four-wheel drive as an option (never offered in the Courier). Dependent on configuration, the Ranger was produced in three wheelbases: 107.9 inches (6-foot bed), 113.9 inches (7-foot bed), and 125 inches (SuperCab, in

Second generation (1993)

After a ten-year production run, Ford introduced the second generation of the Ranger for the 1993 model year with much of its chassis carried over from the previous generation. Sharing no body panels with its predecessor, the redesigned Ranger shifted from a smaller-proportioned F-Series to a more aerodynamic design, no longer sharing its front fascia with the Ford Explorer. For the first time in the compact segment, the Ranger offered a stepside-style bed with the Ranger Splash. For the 1994 model year, Ford commenced production of the Ranger for Mazda, who began to sell the model line as the B-Series pickup truck (effectively in reverse of the 1972–1982 agreement that produced the Ford Courier). For 1995, the second-generation Ranger underwent a mid-cycle revision; in 1996, the model line became the first compact pickup to offer dual airbags. Chassis specification. The second-generation Ranger carried much of its chassis design from its predecessor, with a leaf-sprung rear suspension and a Twin-I-Beam independent front suspension. Two wheelbases were carried over from the previous generation: 107.9 inches (short bed), 113.9 inches (long bed), with the SuperCab lengthened to 125.2 inches (0.2 inches longer). Rear-wheel drive remained standard, with four-wheel drive as an option; a Dana 35 TTB front axle was used. With four-wheel drive Rangers, a manually shifted transfer case was standard; a "Touch Drive" electronically shifted transfer case was an option, using automatic-locking front-wheel hubs. For 1995, the front brakes were revised, adopting two-piston brake calipers from the Ford Explorer; four-wheel anti-lock brakes were standardized on Rangers with 4-wheel drive and/or the 4.0L V6. Powertrain. The standard engine on the second-generation Ranger was again the 2.

Third generation (1998)

For the 1998 model year, a third generation of the Ranger made its debut. While visually similar to the previous generation, extensive upgrades were made to the chassis, suspension, and drivetrain. In line with the larger F-150 and Super Duty trucks, SuperCab Rangers gained the option of two rear-hinged doors for 1999, becoming the first model line in the compact truck segment to do so. Several variants of the Ranger were derived from this generation. Ford of Argentina introduced a crew-cab variant of the Ranger for South America in 1998; the Ford Ranger EV was the first electric vehicle produced by Ford in the United States. The Ford Explorer Sport Trac mid-size pickup truck shared its wheelbase (and some components) with the Ranger. The 2011 model year was the final model year for regular sales of the Ranger in North America; following a short run of 2012 production exclusively for fleet sales, the final vehicle was produced by Twin Cities Assembly on December 15, 2011; the 2012 Ranger Sport SuperCab 4×4 was the final vehicle produced by the facility. Chassis specification. The third-generation Ranger received a redesigned frame; replacing full-length C-channel construction, the frame rails forward of the firewall became fully boxed. Coinciding with the larger two-door cab, wheelbases were lengthened, with the model line offered in 111.6 inches (two-door, 6-foot bed), 117.6 inches (two-door, 7-foot bed), and 125.9 inches (2+2 door SuperCab, 6-foot bed). As with the two previous generations, a rear-wheel drive configuration was standard; on four-wheel drive, front-wheel hubs were vacuum-locked from the dashboard. From 2001 onward, the vacuum-locked front hubs were replaced by front hubs that were permanently engaged to the front axle. Following the 1995 Ford Explorer a

Fourth generation (2019)

Ford had intended to release a new North American Ranger for 2004, codenamed P273, but the project was cancelled. For the 2019 model year, the fourth-generation Ranger was introduced, going on sale in January 2019. Returning after an eight-year hiatus (2012 production was not marketed for retail sale), the fourth-generation Ranger became the first of the model line produced as a mid-size pickup. Developed from the Ranger T6 designed by Ford Australia, the Ranger underwent several design changes to its frame and bumpers. Along with its shift in size segments, the fourth generation marks several firsts for the Ranger in North America. The two-door standard-cab configuration is no longer produced; all examples are SuperCabs or SuperCrews. While Ford Argentina produced crew-cab Rangers during the 1990s and 2000s, this is the first Ranger offered with four full doors in the United States and Canada. For the first time, no V6 engine nor any manual transmission is offered; a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-4 and a 10-speed automatic is the sole powertrain offering (as of 2020 production). The fourth-generation Ranger is produced by Ford at its Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Ford Ranger

Manufacturer

Ford Motor Company

Production

1982–2011, October 2018 – present

Model years

1983–2012, 2019–present

Class

Compact pickup truck (1983–2012), Mid-size pickup truck (2019–present)

Layout

Front-engine, rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive

Predecessor

Ford Courier

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q915824CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Ranger_(Americas)CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1375968356 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2011_Ford_Ranger_XLT_--_NHTSA.jpgPublic domain · Photo: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Manufacturer website (link only) — https://www.ford.com/trucks/ranger/Link only; no content copied · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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