Aussie Ford Ranger Battles a Cyclops, Poseidon: Throwback Thursday

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This 2006 Ford Ranger commercial from Australia features the mid-sized pickup battling a cyclops and the Greek God of the Sea.

The 2006 Ford Ranger sold in Australia was a completely different vehicle from the truck sold in the USA. The American Ranger was its own truck while the Aussie pickup was based on the Mazda BT-50. The Australian version was a bit bigger than its American namesake and, as this commercial from the YouTube account of conor macdonald shows, the mid-sized pickup down under was a bit tougher.

So tough, in fact, that the 2006 Ford Ranger from Australia was able to take on some very powerful competitors.

Ranger Goes to Battle

There is no background on this 2006 Ford Ranger commercial, so we don’t know why the cyclops, the army of centaur archers, and the Greek God of the Sea are doing battle with the mid-sized pickup, but the driver appears to be in quite the pickle. The commercial begins with the Mazda-based Ford pickup swerving around boulders being thrown down by a cyclops. At some point, the truck catches one of the boulders and speeds away.

2006 Ford Ranger from Australia

Next, an army of centaur archers attack the Ford pickup, but the driver is able to lasso the whole lot of them, loading them onto a large trailer to end this fight.

Finally, the Ranger is pulling a boat when Poseidon pops out of the ocean and attacks. The Greek God of the Sea first hits the truck with a wave of water, and when that doesn’t work, fish begin jumping out of the water to do his bidding. When all else fails, the mythological character throws his massive trident at the speeding pickup, but the driver is able to outrun the three pointed spear.

When the Ford Ranger returns to the US market, we can expect that it will be as tough as the 2006 Mazda-based trucks, but we aren’t likely to get great Claymation commercials like this one.

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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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