Totally Awesome 1983 Ranger vs. the Competition: Throwback Thursday

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Just like the upcoming 2019 version, the original Ford Ranger had to battle segment-leading imports.

This week’s “Throwback Thursday” video comes to us from the iOutatime YouTube channel and it features one of the first commercials for the Ford Ranger back in the early 1980s. While many aspects of the entire midsized pickup segment have changed in the past 35 years, the 2019 Ranger will have the same task as the 1983 version – compete with the Japanese imports that dominate the segment.

1983 Ford Ranger

The Midsized Truck Segment

When the Ford Ranger was introduced for the 1983 model year, it entered a segment dominated by Toyota and Nissan. The Japanese automakers popularized these smaller-than-half-ton trucks, so while the Motor Company previously offered the compact Courier, this was Ford’s first real attempt to make a splash in the small truck segment.

When the 2019 Ford Ranger reaches dealerships this year, it will enter a segment dominated by the Toyota Tacoma and the Nissan Frontier. The Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon have also gained popularity in the past few years, but there is no question that the American midsized truck segment is led by the Japanese manufacturers.

The Original Marketing Campaign

In the commercial above, the Ford Ranger is promised to turn the import world upside down. That gives you an idea of how much of a stranglehold Toyota and Nissan had on the segment back in the early 80s and the market share hasn’t changed a whole lot today.

Back in 1983, the small Ford pickup beat the Japanese trucks in fuel economy, but more importantly to some buyers, it also offered a third seat in the regular cab models. The small Ford truck also had the exclusive independent i-beam suspension, a double-walled cargo box and the two-year protection program – all of which gave the Ranger an advantage over the competition.

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"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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