Ford may be planning yet another revival of an old nameplate if a recent trademark filing holds any significance. Originally spotted by CarBuzz, the Blue Oval has filed a trademark for the name “Splash,” the same moniker given to a variant of the compact Ranger pickup back in the ’90s. The Ranger was revived in 2019 after an eight-year hiatus in the U.S. and already has a plethora of upgrade packages, like the Tremor.
According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the trademark relates to “Motor vehicles, namely, automobiles, pick-up trucks, electric vehicles, sport utility vehicles, off-road vehicles, and their structural parts; vehicle equipment package consisting of wheels, exterior body parts and seats.”
First introduced for 1993, the Ford Ranger Splash was a sportier version of that pickup featuring lower suspension, a “FlareSide” bed (those skinny beds with the wide fenders), and, of course, “Splash” vinyl decals. When asked whether this is a signal of new product, perhaps a similar treatment that’ll be applied to the current Ranger, a Ford spokesperson replied, “Trademark applications are intended to protect new phrases, designs or symbols but aren’t necessarily an indication of new business or product plans.”
In any case, Ford has made a habit out of resurrecting legacy names to use on new vehicles. It brought back “Lightning” for the electric F-150, dug up “Maverick” from the dead for its upcoming unibody pickup, and let “Bronco” make a comeback for, y’know, the new Bronco. Should “Splash” be the next old Ford in line to be a new Ford again?
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