Have you ever wondered about the ‘Ranger’ name used by Ford? When was it used and what was it used on??
The first known Ford to carry the ‘Ranger’ name was a 1950 Ford Panel Delivery Truck that was converted to 4-Wheel Drive by the Marmon-Harrington company. Prior to truck manufacturers building their own 4-wheel drives in-house, trucks were converted to 4-wheel drive by companies such as Marmon-Harrington. These ‘Rangers’ were built from 1950-1952 and were based on the Ford F1 Panel Delivery with fewer than 50 built in 1950.
(1952 Ford Ranger)
‘Ranger’ was the base series trim for the 1958-1960 Ford Edsel and were built on the shorter Edsel platform that was shared with the Ford Fairlane.
(Ford Edsel)
In 1965, Ford reintroduced the ‘Ranger’ name as a styling package on F-Series trucks. 1981 would be the last year that Ford would use the Ranger name on its F-Series trucks.
(1968 Ford F-100 Ranger)
(1977 Ford F-Series Ranger)
In 1983, Ford would introduce a compact pickup truck to replace the Mazda built Courier and call it ‘Ranger’.
(1983 Ford Ranger)
In 1967 Ford built a Ford Ranger II prototype. Look for the article on that HERE.
Ford Ranger Nameplate History
Want some Ranger nameplate history? Here’s some images of Ranger nameplates from years gone by:
2019-2023 Ford Ranger
2006-2011 Ford Ranger XLT
2006-2011 Ford Ranger:
1989-1995 Ford Ranger XLT – Chrome (Note 1996-2005 emblems are the same but silver)
1983-1988 Ford Ranger XLT
1978-1979 Ford Bronco Ranger emblem
1973-1979 Ford Ranger emblem for Ford F-100/250/350
1977-1979 Ford F-250 Ranger emblem:
1977-1979 Ford F-150 Ranger emblem
1970-1972 Ford Ranger dash emblem
1967-1972 Ford Ranger bedside emblem for Ford F100/250/350:
1958-1960 Ford Edsel Ranger emblem
Miscellaneous:
(From Camper Special)
Have other Ranger emblems to share? Use the ‘Submit’ button below.
About The Author
Jim Oaks is the founder of The Ranger Station, one of the longest-running Ford Ranger enthusiast communities on the web. He has spent over three decades owning, modifying, repairing, and driving Ford Rangers on the street, trail, and cross-country routes.
Since launching TheRangerStation.com in 1999, Jim has documented thousands of real-world Ranger builds, technical repairs, drivetrain swaps, suspension modifications, and off-road tests contributed by owners worldwide. His work has been referenced by enthusiasts, mechanics, and off-road builders looking for practical, experience-based information rather than theoretical advice.
Jim’s hands-on experience includes long-distance overland travel, trail use, drivetrain and axle upgrades, suspension tuning, and platform comparisons across multiple Ranger generations. The content published on The Ranger Station is grounded in first-hand experience and community-verified data, not marketing claims or generic specifications.