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Ford’s segment-defining pick-ups, or bakkies in the South African vernacular, would reach all the way to Egypt’s southern border – some 5 300 km away.

That provides a rather mind-boggling visual representation of Ford’s latest milestone in the local production of the Ford Ranger over the past 24 years, as the Silverton plant celebrates the one-millionth unit, which recently came off its modern assembly line.

The Ranger’s legacy in South Africa encompasses three generations.

“It’s fitting that we celebrate reaching and now rapidly surpassing the one-millionth locally produced Ranger during Ford’s Centenary year in South Africa,” says Neale Hill, president, Ford Motor Company Africa. “Production of the first-generation Ranger commenced in 2000, which coincided with the official return of Ford Motor Company to South Africa.

“We have continued to invest extensively in our local operations at the Silverton Manufacturing Plant and the Struandale Engine Plant to expand Ranger production for the South African market and to support crucial exports to more than 100 global markets,” he says.

First generation:

The first-generation Ranger was produced between 2000 and 2011, which included Ford South Africa’s first significant foray into export markets, which commenced in 2008, with right-hand drive and left-hand drive models shipped from the Silverton Manufacturing Plant to markets across Africa.

Production ended in late 2011 with more than 100 000 Rangers manufactured in what had been a multi-platform assembly facility, producing both passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.

Second generation:

Production at the Silverton plant transitioned to a high-volume flexible single platform for the 2011 Ranger, with the global export programme at its core, and an initial installed capacity pegged at 110 000 vehicles a year.

This model also led to significant investments in the Struandale Engine Plant in Gqeberha for the component machining and assembly of the 2.2L and 3.2L Duratorq TDCi engines. The 2019 addition of 2-litre Single Turbo and Bi-Turbo diesel engines and the arrival of the groundbreaking first-ever Ranger Raptor, raised the ante even further.

The second-generation Ranger chapter drew to a close in November 2022 with a total of 873 751 units produced in South Africa – with around two thirds making their way to export markets.

Third generation:

The launch of the third and current-generation Ranger at the end of 2022 followed a massive investment and expansion programme for the Silverton Manufacturing Plant to increase installed capacity to 200 000 vehicles a year – or 720 vehicles a day, which is the highest volume of any vehicle manufacturer in South Africa.

“To achieve these unprecedented volumes, we adopted a no-compromise approach. We constructed our first on-site Stamping Plant, built the only Ford-owned and operated Chassis Plant in the world, installed an all-new Body Shop and completely modernised the Ranger assembly line,” says Ockert Berry, Vice President Operations, Ford South Africa.

Having both great products and facilities are essential ingredients for success, but it’s the people that make it happen. “We currently employ around 5 200 people and support approximately 60 000 jobs in the total value chain,” Ockert says.