Europe
The existence of the Ranger brand was a result of General Motors continuing a policy of theirs in the United States, with a number of brands competing directly with each other. General Motors Continental and GM Suisse had hitherto attempted to compete with Opel in their respective markets by selling Vauxhalls, but dealers were complaining as Vauxhall products were becoming less and less competitive vis-à-vis their Opel cousins. To flesh out the range and help their dealers in the marketplace, General Motors Suisse responded with the Rekord-based Ranger in February 1970. Belgium received their Ranger versions in November 1970, with an additional 1700 model at the bottom of the lineup. Other alternatives had also been considered, including the Brazilian Chevrolet Opala and Australia's Holden Torana. Unlike the Chevrolet-engined South African Ranger, Belgian Rangers all received Opel engines.
The Ranger A, like its South African counterpart, had a Vauxhall-style grille. Sold by dealers alongside Vauxhalls, the lineup was carefully limited so as not to compete directly with Vauxhall's four-door only Victor, and thus the smaller-engined Ranger As were usually only available as two-doors. At Geneva 1971, General Motors Continental and General Motors Suisse presented the new Ranger B alongside its Opel Rekord D twin. Aside from some minor trim differences, including twin headlights and a grille with a crossbar, as well as different taillights and a rear license plate mounted higher than on the Rekord. The Ranger B used a "humped" bonnet, similar to but different from the one used on Rekord D diesels. In early 1974, the twin-carb 2500 GTS was replaced by the 140 PS (103 kW) 2800 GTS, only available as a coupé.
The Swiss plant received most of its parts from Germany, utilizing up to 15 percent local material (tires, upholstery, glass, etcetera) to save on import tariffs. As Swiss wages increased the plant, with its small numbers, became unprofitable and it was closed in the middle of 1975. The Belgian Rangers continued to be available, in an ever-shrinking lineup, until 1978 when the new Opel Rekord (E) appeared.
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“You can always tell a Midwestern couple in Europe because they will be standing in the middle of a busy intersection looking at a wind-blown map and arguing over which way is west. European cities, with their wandering streets and undisciplined alleys, drive Midwesterners practically insane.”
—Bill Bryson (b. 1951)
“riding flatcars to Fresno,
Across the whole country
Steep towns, flat towns, even New York,
And oceans and Europe & libraries & galleries
And the factories they make rubbers in”
—Gary Snyder (b. 1930)
“New York has her wilderness within her own borders; and though the sailors of Europe are familiar with the soundings of her Hudson, and Fulton long since invented the steamboat on its waters, an Indian is still necessary to guide her scientific men to its headwaters in the Adirondack country.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)