It was a complete WTF moment for me and I still recall it like it was yesterday. I was tired, I was grumpy, and I was ready to head back to America after a very long and crazy day filming supercars and hypercars being unveiled at the 2011 Geneva International Motor Show in Switzerland. I just happened to be walking by the Ford display when there it was, the small pickup of my dreams (please see video below). It was the new 2012 Ford Ranger WildTrak.
I was in the market for a small pickup truck and my father-in-law let me borrow his old blue Ford Ranger and I instantly fell in love with this barebones work truck. It was small, it was cheap, and it was perfect for my weekend remodeling and mountain biking needs.
There was only one small problem. Ford was selling this bad boy on the wrong side of the Atlantic ocean.
It was the ultimate forbidden fruit. Think of it as an American in Geneva.
That’s why when we received these Ford Ranger WildTrak pictures and the email below from Don Serwinski (a TFLtruck reader) my heart began to flutter again. BTW: Don got the right truck but the wrong name in his email below.
“Hi guys,
Driving around Germany I spotted this new Ford Ranger Wildside. Is Ford going to get smart after the success of the Colorado and let us have this truck? Keep up the wonderful reviews. Your reviews weigh heavily on all my truck and car purchases. Really like the gauntlet tests as I have driven that route several times during ski vacations.”
When I returned back home from Geneva, I immediately called my PR contact in Dearborn and asked them the obvious WTF question that I’m sure you are asking yourself at this point as well.
Why is Ford keeping the good America pickup stuff in Europe?
I received a bunch of different answers from Ford which included:
- We don’t want to cannibalize sales of the best selling truck in America the Ford F-150
- We don’t believe American want small trucks
- We can’t build them cheaply enough
- We can’t make a business case for the truck
- The price of fuel
- And so on and so on and so on.
I suspect they maybe rethinking these reason today as GM sells every Chevy Colorado review and GMC Canyon they can build. The same I suspect is true for the new 2016 Toyota Tacoma. It is like mushrooms after warm summer rain the new small truck market has taken root and exploded in America.
The question for you is a simple one. Would you buy the Ford Ranger WildTrak if Ford sold it in America?
Please let us know below. I’m sure not just TFLtruck readers are interested in your opinion. I suspect that Ford maybe listening as well.
