Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[St. Paul Ford Ranger plant to shut down for December]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/17/st-paul-ford-ranger-plant-to-shut-down-for-december/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/17/st-paul-ford-ranger-plant-to-shut-down-for-december/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/17/st-paul-ford-ranger-plant-to-shut-down-for-december/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

For the entire month of December, Ford's plant in St. Paul, Minnesota, where about 1,000 workers assemble the Ford Ranger, will shut down. According to reports, it is normal for the plant to be closed for the week of Christmas, but an additional three weeks of downtime is necessary to "align production with demand."

The plant had initially been scheduled to be shuttered sometime in 2008, but the recent upwards trend in small pickup sales prompted the Blue Oval to keep it open a bit longer and it currently has no specific date set for closure, though it's demise is currently rumored for sometime in 2011. Perhaps if Ford would actually do something to update its long-in-the-tooth Ranger truck, it wouldn't need to consider its death at all, but that's another story entirely.

[Source: Reuters]

St. Paul Ford Ranger plant to shut down for December originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Oct 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fordford plantford plantsford rangerFordPlantFordPlantsFordRangerst paulst. paulst. paul minnesotaSt.PaulSt.PaulMinnesotaStPaulFri, 17 Oct 2008 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Ford Ranger on the ropes]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/05/ford-ranger-on-the-ropes/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/05/ford-ranger-on-the-ropes/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/05/ford-ranger-on-the-ropes/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



We posted some conjecture about the Ranger not too long ago, with some Photochops to illustrate possible ways Ford could keep its smallest pickup alive. Automotive News has looked in to their crystal ball and determined that the future of the Ranger is murky, at best. The first bad sign is that the St. Paul, MN Ranger plant is slated to be closed in 2008. With no place to build the Ranger, it would seem to have one foot in the grave, along with the rest of the segment, not counting the evergreen Toyota Tacoma (which is not particularly small anymore). All is not lost, however. As we offered, there are existing platforms that would lend themselves to truckification, as well as actual trucks in different markets.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Continue reading Ford Ranger on the ropes

Ford Ranger on the ropes originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Jun 2007 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>australiabt-50bt50falconfordmazdaminnesotamissouripickuprangerst louisst paulStLouisStPaulthailandtruckutexrTue, 05 Jun 2007 08:32:00 EST