Originally sold as a compact pickup, the Ford Ranger was quite popular as an affordable and capable mode of transportation for more than one generation before it disappeared in the U.S. years ago, only to return for the 2019 model year as a mid-sizer. In recent times, we’ve watched as more and more folks gravitate toward nice examples of the compact Ranger, and as such, more of that same sort of thing is appearing at collector car auctions. Soon, that list will include this 1997 Ford Ranger, which has just 40k miles on the clock.
This 1997 Ford Ranger is scheduled to cross the block at Barrett-Jackson’s Fall Scottsdale, Arizona auction later this month, and it certainly seems like a great target for someone looking to pick up a potentially appreciating asset, or just anyone who appreciates a good, simple pickup. On the outside, the regular cab model sports nice green paint that appears to be in good condition, along with the original wheels.
Peek inside, and one will find a pretty basic cloth interior that doesn’t have too many amenities, as some prefer – in fact, it isn’t even equipped with air conditioning, which is at least one thing we like to see. Regardless, it does come with power steering, power brakes, and heat, at least.
In terms of power, that comes from the naturally-aspirated 2.3L four-cylinder engine, which in this case is mated to the four-speed automatic transmission. Otherwise, details in this auction listing are a bit sparse, to say the least, but that’s also quite common these days, for whatever reason.
In any event, this is just the latest nice Ford Ranger from the same generation we’ve spotted hit the auction block in recent months. That increasingly long list also includes a a 1997 XLT Flareside with 35k miles, a 1999 XLT with 52k miles, and a 2000 XLT with 52k miles.
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