Meet the Ford Ranger Convertible You’ve Never Heard Of

BOLD RIDE

Copyright © 2015 Bold Ride LLC.

 

Posted by Zach Doell

 

 

 

If the idea of a concept car is any indication – not all running and driving prototypes are destined for their day in a dealership showroom. Some never see the light of day at all, others just fizzle out before production… for one reason or another. 

 

This stunning shape is indeed a fizzler. It’s known as a Ford SkyRanger, part of a claimed limited production run of only 17 Ranger 4×4 convertibles, which made their debut in 1991 during the height of compact truck madness.

If it pushes all the right buttons, you’re in luck. This Blue Oval oddity is currently up for sale on eBay, and it looks to be in stellar condition.

The history of the Ford SkyRanger is a little hazy at best, but it does showcase an interesting theme of the ‘90s – compact trucks were the hot ticket, and getting more interesting by the day. Bear in mind, this was a time when GMC debuted its sports car crushing Syclone pickup and Dodge was chopping the roof off its Dakota 4×4. It would appear Ford wanted in on that cool ute scene, so it rang up the company responsible for the Dakota convertible – American Sunroof Corporation – and commissioned just under 20 convertible Rangers to be built.

Admittedly, the ‘SkyRanger’ design is a bit odd. This drop top Ranger comes fitted with an aero-styled body kit, rear wing affixed to the bed rails, an aerodynamic hoop directly behind the canvas roof, and despite a low-slung ride height it even comes with four-wheel drive. Odd, but then again so was the Syclone. Whatever the reason, Ford never delved further into SkyRanger production beyond this limited run, making these eye-catching pickups quite the rare find.

Lift up the hood of this one and you’ll find a Ford 4.0-liter V6 engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. Inside and out, the truck looks to be in incredibly good shape, a notion reinforced by its minuscule mileage – a claimed 7,279 miles in 24 years.
So which cool ‘90s ute would it be for you? GMC Syclone, Dakota Convertible, or Ford SkyRanger? Let us know!


Via: Hooniverse

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