Nothing says confidence in the 1984 Ranger like offering people cash to buy something else.
This week’s Throwback Thursday video comes to us from the YouTube channel of Dusty Oxide and it takes us back to 1984, where a Ford dealership in Parkersburg, West Virginia would pay anyone $50 if they drove the new Ranger before buying something else. In the modern age of automotive sales, there are a seemingly-endless list of incentives used to get people to buy new cars, trucks and SUVs, but rarely do we see cash payments from a dealership for buying another brand.
Dare to Compare
In this Parkersburg-area 1984 Ford Ranger commercial, the dealership begins by stating that they are looking to sell more than 2,500 vehicles during the first three months of the year. One of the vehicles that they are pushing the hardest is the 1984 Ranger and they are so confident in that small pickup that they offered a “dare to compare” deal.
Anyone who drove a 1984 Ford Ranger and its two key competitors – the Chevrolet S10 and the Toyota pickup – if you buy one of the other two trucks, the dealership would give you $50 cash. That shows a great deal of confidence in the Ranger, especially when compared to the other top models in the segment.
Seems Like an Easy $50
Imagine that back in 1984, you were planning to buy a new Chevy S10 or Toyota pickup. You could go drive the Ranger first, and provided that you didn’t fall in love with it, you could then go buy the other truck and go collect your $50 – although this would have meant settling for one of those other two trucks.
This loophole is likely why we don’t see many deals like this anymore, but back in 1984, it was an interesting incentive to get people in the door to drive the Ford Ranger.
"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.
