The Ford Ranger is a nameplate that has been used on three distinct model lines of vehicles sold by Ford. Originally, the name was used by the short-lived Edsel Ranger car, then it later referred to a version of the Ford F-Series pickup truck sold in North America between model year 1965 and 1981 that denoted a styling package. Ford repurposed the name "Ranger" in 1982 for the 1983 model year for a compact pickup truck sold in North America and later parts of South America. Since 1998, Ford has offered a separate model of Ranger sold internationally.
Ford designed and engineered the North American version of the Ranger, which commenced manufacture in January 1982 for the 1983 model year and ended production in December 2011. For the 1995 model year, Ford exported the North American model to select Latin and South American countries; however, as demand increased, Ford began producing the model at its Argentinian plant.
During its production run, the Ranger received several updates: notably, the 1989 model year facelift, the introduction of the second-generation model for 1993, a 1998 model year facelift of the same, and several smaller second-generation cosmetic changes in the 2001, 2004, and 2006 model years. The Latin and South American version was re-skinned in 2009 for the 2010 model year, receiving all-new exterior sheet metal while retaining the existing body structure. On December 22, 2011, the last USA-built Ranger rolled off the St. Paul, Minnesota assembly line. It is still being built in other countries.
