http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,191654,00.html

 

That link for some strange reason sent me to somebody's blog site, wierd I know.

But I did go to the Fox News Site and found the article link story but it only said that Ford wasn't anouncing it's plans for the Ranger until near the end of 2008:


FORD TO MAINTAIN F-SERIES CAPACITY

"We are reducing the number of plants, but we are not reducing the F-Series capacity," Fields said, adding that flexible manufacturing will help maintain capacity.

Ford said on Wednesday it aims to sell more than 900,000 F-Series trucks this year for a third year in a row.

"Our goal is to build more trucks with fewer plants," said Anne Stevens, chief operating officer of the Americas region.

But Ford declined to reveal plans for the Ranger, sales of which fell nearly 23 percent in 2005 and are down 16 percent so far this year.

Product plans surrounding Ford compact pickups will be announced closer to the end of Ford Ranger production in 2008, the company said.

Ford has already announced the closure of assembly plants in Wixom, Michigan; St Louis; and Atlanta.

Strong competition, soaring health-care and raw material costs, and a slide in U.S. market share had forced the automaker to announce a second restructuring for its North American operations in four years.

"I have never seen the auto industry this bad," Chris Kimmons, president of UAW Local 919, representing workers at the Virginia plant, told Reuters.

Ford executives also said the company is on track to have 82 percent of its North American assembly facilities flexible — or to enable multiple vehicles to be built on the same line — by 2008, up from 38 percent in 2004 and ahead of the previously announced target of 75 percent.

 

"End of the Ranger in 2008" doesn't mean anything other than the end of the Ranger name. It certainly doesn't imply that Ford is going to stop making compact pickups--they sell far too many of them for that to ever happen.

 

Yeah it'd be ridiculous for them to just halt making the Ranger, whether they call it the Ranger or not. Way too good of a seller, for fleet vehicles if nothing else.

RP
Zach

 

First off, Im not a Ford insider, but from all the Rangers I see on the road, and "The best selling compact pickup 17 years running" banner, why on earth would Ford even consider ending the Ranger unless they are not making money???

Are they not making money? Does it cost too much to make the Ranger, and the profit to little in return? Why, if Ford continues to make compact pickups, would they change the name? There isnt bad name assosation with "Ranger" that Im aware of. If it aint broke, dont fix it.

 

Ford has paid off tooling a while ago, so while GM and Dodge are still trying to pay off their tooling for their 'new' trucks, Ford is making revenue. So far it seems the benefits of the Ranger outweigh the cost of making them. I sure hope, and think, it will stay that way.

 

With the cost of fuel rising I can't see the production of smaller pickups declining. They may be overly optimistic about the sale of full size fuel guzzling pickups tho.

 

I'd like to agree, but I have to say that I haven't seen very many of the '06s around at all. (Which, from an aesthetical standpoint suits me just fine...) Don't know why people aren't buying them, but they don't seem to be.

 

I dont think the Ranger is marketed enough. I live near Detroit, and am within 15 miles of at least 9 diffrent Ford dealers and, not to mention, The Ford World Headquaters in Dearborn, Mi.

Ford advertisements are-a-plenty in this market, and I never see the Ranger in ads. Its always the F150, Ford 500, Explorer, Escape and Escape Hybrid, Fusion, and Freestyle being showcased.

I do see some 2006's on the roads, as I just saw 2 today while out mountain biking. I dont know what the sales totals so far are on the 06's, but being this is "Ford Country" Ive seen some.

 

Ford just announced today that they were closing our Norfolk VA Manufacturing Plant, it only built the F 150's. It will shut down by 2008.

 

Based on the rhetoric I keep hearing from both GM and Ford, they both seem to be foolishly optimistic that they can stay afloat by pushing out full sized trucks and SUVs. Gas is threatening to hit $2.70/gallon here and it isn't even May yet. Yeah Ford, people are just going to be flocking to buy trucks that can't hardly break 20 mpg.

If Ford wants to build a winner, work on the 4 cyl engine a little more and get it to where it can reliably get better than 30 mpg without using any hybrid technology. Make it look good and you've instantly created the solution to folks who need a truck for doing small hauling jobs around the house and need something to get them to and from work during the week. No other manufacturer right now has anything close to that.

 

I cant imagine them being foolish enough to terminate production of a compact pickup like the ranger, with its efficiency, and versitility. honestly, its been a VERY good truck for over 20 years of production, and still is.

the Ford exectutives simply need to do more marketing of that truck, and it'll catch on real quick. people who like good fuel milage, yet want a pickup to haul stuff on the weekend can appreciate the ranger, as do many professionals in various fields who use em as service trucks, delivery units, etc.

 

I don't know whether you will see the end of the Ranger entirely - Ford would be really foolish to do that.

 

If they want to get serious about marketing the 4-cylinder, they'll need to come up with a 4x4 version. Up here in snow country, there's a lot of people who buy V6 trucks just to get the 4x4, and I suspect there are quite a few who pass on Ford because they can't get a a 4-cylinder 4x4.

 

The last current ranger plant will close in 08, but that doesn't mean the end of the ranger. A new ranger, or whatever they call it, could be consolidated into one of the f-150 plants. Ford says, that they want to make the same amount of trucks with fewer plants. Another option would be to import the ranger, as it is made all over the world, even in Mexico, and they have a 4 door crewcab, with a diesel option. there's no way they can do away with the mini truck, the market is to big for it, and I'm sure will get bigger with riseing gas prices. With 4 cylinders getting more powerful, I agree with Bart99gt, I think a 4 cylinder 4x4 would be a great idea, I would be interested as a daily driver, and keep my 4.0 4x4 as an offroad toy. Like I say, they allready have a 4 banger diesel 4x4 overseas. I think a 4 banger gas, and diesel 4x4 would boost sells.