Ford Ranger and Chrysler PT Cruiser Bite the Dust by 2009

According to various sources, two more American vehicles are to bite the dust by the end of the decade, both of which in one way or another were icons to their respective brands.

Unsurprisingly, Ford has chosen to end the production of its Ranger, according to Automotive News. Reportedly, part of the $2 billion savings that it has found with the UAW involved closing the Twin-Cities plant in Minnesota that builds the truck and its badge-engineered brother, the Mazda B-Series, by 2009. At that time, Ford will also close the doors at the Cleveland plant that produces the engines for these trucks. At this point the Ranger will have been around for 26 years.

Although the Ranger hasn’t received the same level of attention as the full-size F-150 or the recently redesigned, hard-working Super Duty trucks, it still plays an integral role in the Ford truck lineup. Without it, Ford effectively becomes the only pickup truck manufacturer that doesn’t have a compact/midsize truck in its arsenal. What’s more is that the Ranger is still a relatively solid seller despite essentially featuring the same basic architecture that it used when it was first launched. It’s one of the most affordable trucks on the market, and with its 2.3-liter Mazda-sourced inline-four is bar none the most efficient pickup truck currently on sale. As of right now, there is no replacement on the table (no, not even the Thai-built compact truck bearing the same name), leaving a big hole in Ford’s product lineup.

When Chrysler announced that it was slashing its product offerings by four vehicles, killing off the Magnum, Pacifica, Crossfire, and the PT Cruiser Convertible, it at least would be filling the Magnum and Pacifica range with new or updated models. These are low-volume vehicles at the end of their product lifecycles, so it all makes sense. However, according to the Wall Street Journal, it won’t just be the Convertible version of the PT that will be getting the axe, but rather the whole PT lineup will be nixed by 2009. Despite a mid-life update which saw improvements to the interior, there’s no hiding the fact that the PT Cruiser is starting to get outdated. It also continues to ride on the old Neon architecture, and being the only vehicle to do so would require a total overhaul to Caliber running gear if it was to continue. An expensive process for a car that doesn’t quite fit the Chrysler brand image anymore.

The gaps left by the deletion of the Magnum wagon, Pacifica crossover and the PT Cruiser will be filled by one vehicle, the Dodge Journey, which was first shown at the Frankfurt auto show and more recently in LA. This will benefit dealers selling all brands, or Dodge dealers, but Chrysler dealers may be left out in the cold without a crossover. Under the guidance of Chrysler’s new Co-President and former Toyota man, Jim Press, there may not be a version of the Journey badged as a Chrysler product. Some Pacifica customers may find that the new Aspen, especially in dual-mode hybrid trim, will fit the bill when trade in time arrives.

One plan of action that may see more vehicles eliminated is the segregation of the brands to produce specific classes of vehicles. For instance, Chrysler would sell only passenger cars while Dodge would be the purveyor of trucks and commercial vehicles (no cars). Jeep would continue as it currently does, producing SUVs. Whether or not this plan will go into action has yet to be decided, but Chrysler intends to slash half of its North American hourly workforce by the end of the decade, so expect to hear more big news soon.