This Odd Looking Ford Ranger Is One Of The Rarest Trucks Ever Made
Ford's F-150 is not just the best-selling truck in the United States but the best-selling vehicle, period (via U.S. News & World Report). It's a distinction the truck line has held on to for over four decades, even as it relinquished this title in 2021, according to Kelley Blue Book. Whether you're a Ford fan or not, the numbers don't lie; the automaker knows how to make pickups that sell. Ford leads the pack in classic truck models, so it's odd that back in the early 1990s, it would go off the reservation and farm out a concept design to a third party. Or did it?
Enter the 1991 Ford Ranger SkyRanger Convertible, one of which sold at an RM Sotheby's auction in 2008 for $13,200 (via RM Sotheby's). The mystery surrounding the rarest of Ford trucks is replete with questions, like who built the thing and how many were actually made? Before we answer those questions, let's get down to the nuts and bolts of this ragtop.
This basis for the SkyRanger Targa truck was the '91 Ford Ranger STX extended-cab truck (via Ford Authority). It came with the Ranger's engine — a 4.0-liter 155-hp Cologne — and the same Mazda five-speed manual transmission.
MotorTrend notes that the plan was to offer it in two and four-wheel drive under two different models. The "Elite" was the stripped-down base version, while the "GTS" came with a more aggressive sport package that included wrap-around ground effects and a front spoiler. Both had an aerodynamic rear wing sitting above the tailgate and a sports bar (referred to as an "Integral Targa Surround") midship with a sunken stop lamp smack in the center for maximum visibility.
Pop the top and reach for the sky
While promotional photos show both models with Eurosport side mirrors, real-life photos show the Elite with the bigger, conventional chrome towing mirrors. The cab had to be structurally reinforced so the frame could withstand the missing roof (via MotorTrend).
The unique Haartz Stayfast cloth Targa top was designed so it could be locked in the up position or quickly closed down and stored behind the front seats — with one hand, according to MotorTrend. Ads claim there was plenty of storage space behind the seats for "luggage, groceries, or golf clubs." Custom graphics and a Haartz Stayfast boot cover rounded out the SkyRanger's features.
The million-dollar question that kept Ford aficionados (aficioFordos?) awake at night was, who exactly created this thing? And for the longest time, the mainstream belief, as recounted by MotorTrend, was that the American Sunroof Company/American Specialty Cars crafted the ragtop Ranger, which was eventually proven false.
According to Ford Authority, the SkyRanger was actually built by a company named Professional Auto Crafters (or just Autocrafters), a small company headed by Bob Kaiser in Livonia, Michigan (via MotorTrend), not 15 miles from Ford's Dearborn headquarters. Some sources say Ford commissioned the truck (via AutoEvolution), while others say PAC built the conversions with its own money. When Ford decided to pass on the concept, it financially devastated PAC, and they went out of business.
As to its rarity ... again, sources are divided. Some say only 14 were built, while others claim 17. Wherever the final number lands, it's a rare breed indeed.