<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/trucks/" rel="tag">Truck</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/government-legal/" rel="tag">Government/Legal</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/plants-manufacturing/" rel="tag">Plants/Manufacturing</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2010-ford-ranger-1/#1338974"><img vspace="4" hspace="0" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/05/ranger-10.jpg" alt="2010 Ford Ranger splashing in the mud" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><small>2010 Ford Ranger - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></em></strong></div>
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According to <em>The Detroit News</em>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> officials met with Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty yesterday to discuss the future of the automaker's St. Paul assembly plant. The facility, which builds Ford's <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/ranger">Ranger</a> compact pickup has been earmarked for closure for some time, but despite the roundtable session, the Blue Oval says it still plans to shutter its operations.<br />
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Pawlenty's administration had been hoping that the signing of a new state law in April allowing the government to offer Ford a series of tax breaks would be enough to keep the Twin Cities operations open, but apparently it wasn't enough - the plant will close, although an end-date remains uncertain. <br />
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Closing the plant will also close the book on the aging Ranger, though Ford has confirmed that the model name will live on with other, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/28/spy-shots-next-gen-ford-ranger-and-chevy-colorado-replacements/">larger models in foreign markets</a>. Thus far, rumors of a new North American Ranger (and even an <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/26/video-mulally-unwittingly-confirms-next-gen-ford-ranger-for-u-s/">on-air slip by Ford president Alan Mulally</a>) have amounted to nothing, and with Ford committed introducing more economical engines to its <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/f-150">F-150 full-size pickup</a>, it appears highly unlikely that a U.S. Ranger will receive an encore any time soon.<br />
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[Source: <a href="http://www.detnews.com/article/20100825/AUTO01/8250402/1148/AUTO01/Ford-remains-set-to-close-St.-Paul-plant-after-meeting-with-Minnesota-governor#ixzz0xj4RVdtT">The Detroit News</a>]<br />
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<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/26/report-despite-meeting-with-governor-ford-set-to-close-minneso/">Report: Despite meeting with governor, Ford set to close Minnesota Ranger plant</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/26/report-despite-meeting-with-governor-ford-set-to-close-minneso/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19609362/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/26/report-despite-meeting-with-governor-ford-set-to-close-minneso/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><small>2010 Ford Ranger - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></em></strong></div>
<br />
According to <em>The Detroit News</em>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> officials met with Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty yesterday to discuss the future of the automaker's St. Paul assembly plant. The facility, which builds Ford's <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/ranger">Ranger</a> compact pickup has been earmarked for closure for some time, but despite the roundtable session, the Blue Oval says it still plans to shutter its operations.<br />
<br />
Pawlenty's administration had been hoping that the signing of a new state law in April allowing the government to offer Ford a series of tax breaks would be enough to keep the Twin Cities operations open, but apparently it wasn't enough - the plant will close, although an end-date remains uncertain. <br />
<br />
Closing the plant will also close the book on the aging Ranger, though Ford has confirmed that the model name will live on with other, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/28/spy-shots-next-gen-ford-ranger-and-chevy-colorado-replacements/">larger models in foreign markets</a>. Thus far, rumors of a new North American Ranger (and even an <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/26/video-mulally-unwittingly-confirms-next-gen-ford-ranger-for-u-s/">on-air slip by Ford president Alan Mulally</a>) have amounted to nothing, and with Ford committed introducing more economical engines to its <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/f-150">F-150 full-size pickup</a>, it appears highly unlikely that a U.S. Ranger will receive an encore any time soon.<br />
<br />
[Source: <a href="http://www.detnews.com/article/20100825/AUTO01/8250402/1148/AUTO01/Ford-remains-set-to-close-St.-Paul-plant-after-meeting-with-Minnesota-governor#ixzz0xj4RVdtT">The Detroit News</a>]<br />
<br />
<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/26/report-despite-meeting-with-governor-ford-set-to-close-minneso/">Report: Despite meeting with governor, Ford set to close Minnesota Ranger plant</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/26/report-despite-meeting-with-governor-ford-set-to-close-minneso/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19609362/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/26/report-despite-meeting-with-governor-ford-set-to-close-minneso/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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