5 More Strange Ford Trucks Never Sold in the USA
Ford motor company is known around the world for dependable cars and hard working trucks. They tailor car and truck models to the local needs, and some of the trucks are unlike anything available in the USA. Here are 5 more trucks you probably haven't seen.
1. 1934-56 Ford Australia Utes
In the early days, cars and trucks shared common body parts, but in 1934 Australia got a car-based ute for the first time, while Ford in the USA was working on their first dedicated truck. Of course, in Australia, they got car-based utes, similar to the Chevy El Camino, or Ford Ranchero, right up until recently. For all of the classic pre-war Ford cars and early post-war models, there were corresponding utes. From 1957 until 1971 we got Rancheros similar to the Utes in Australia, though not quite the same. Then our Rancheros got huge, while the Aussies stuck with an ever evolving Falcon based model. Pictured above is an original 1934 coupe utility (its official name) and the last generation Ford Ranger, which we also did not get. For a full rundown of the Falcon-based models, click over to this Australian article on Motoring.com.
2. 1967-91 Ford Argentina Ranchero
Ford shipped tooling to South America for the first generation Falcon while it was still being made in the US, and it became the most popular car in the country in just a few years. In 1973, the Argentines got their own version of the Falcon Ranchero, which was then continued with minor changes until 1991. Unlike the Falcons and utes in Australia, the South American version barely evolved over the years, keeping the same basic chassis and body style for 30 years. The Argentine Ranchero was even exported to Cuba for several years. These cars and trucks were part of the reason for the continued development of the Ford 200 straight six in Argentina. Here's some more info on these trucks.
3. 1998-2013 Ford Brazil Courier
In Brazil, there was a small, FWD car-based pickup truck for many years called the Ford Courier and based on the Ford Fiesta that we also did not get. This little truck was very similar to the South African Ford Bantam, which we mentioned in the earlier slideshow of trucks we don't get in the USA. You would be surprised at how useful these trucks can be, with a rated payload the same as the last Ford Ranger we got here. These trucks almost make it to the US, being stopped at the Mexican border and not allowed in, though you do sometimes see them driving here in border states.
4. Ford Mexico Lobo
The Ford F-150 is popular all over the world, except it is not called the F-150 all over the world. In Mexico and some other Latin American countries, it is known as the Ford Lobo, meaning wolf, and has been since the 1980s. While you can't get a Mexican spec truck in the US, if you look online you can get all the emblems you need to turn your F-150 into an American Lobo.
5. 1965-86 Ford Transit
We get the Ford Transit now, as well as its little brother the Transit Connect, but we missed out on several generations of small vans that drove like cars. First offered in 1965 the Transit was based on the mechanicals of European Ford passenger cars and was a great way to get to and from the market. There were passenger versions, cargo version, box vans, flatbeds, pickup trucks and more. Narrower, and easier to maneuver than the American Econoline vans, they were perfect for the streets of the old world.
For more foreign truck goodness, check out 5 Fords Not Available in the U.S.
Got a Ford truck that needs a little help? Check out the how-to sections of Ford-Trucks.com