Ranger was Canada’s best-selling compact truck thanks in part to the powerful 4.0-liter engine.
This week’s Throwback Thursday video comes to us from the Betamax King YouTube channel and it features a Canadian commercial for the 1990 Ford Ranger. Back then, Ford was the lead in small truck sales in Canada and in this unique commercial, the Ranger is working with the heavy bag, showing off how much of a punch it packs.
Big Engine in a Small Truck
Back in 1990, the Ford Rangercould be ordered with the 4.0-liter V6 engine that delivered 155 horsepower, making it one of the most powerful trucks in the segment. For comparison, the biggest engine offered in the Toyota pickup in 1990 was a 3.0-liter V6 with 150 horsepower while the Nissan Hardbody offered 153 horsepower from its 3.0-liter V6. The Chevrolet S-10 offered a 4.3-liter V6 with 160 horsepower, making it the only truck in the group with more power than the Ranger.
In the grand scheme of things, the 1990 Ranger’s 4.0-liter output of 155 horsepower isn’t all that impressive, but for that segment, the small Ford truck packed one of the bigger punches in the segment. With that in mind, FoMoCo made the commercial above for the Canadian market.
Working the Heavy Bag
To emphasize the fact that the Ranger was one of the heavier hitters in the compact truck segment in 1990, the commercial above was made for use on VHS and Betamax tapes. This commercial actually begins with a Mercury Topaz spot, but around the halfway point of the video, it transitions to the truck portion.
We watch as the 1990 Ford RangerSTX hits the heavy bag over and over again, ducking and weaving like a boxer in the process. As the commercial nears its end, the truck begins working the bag hard and fast, causing the bag to explode into a pile of confetti.
"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.
