Ford Bantam

Ford Bantam (second generation)

Ford Bantam second generation, also sold as the Mazda Rustler

The Ford Bantam is a "bakkie" (a "pickup", or "ute") produced by Ford in South Africa. It spanned into three different models and was produced in South Africa for the local market.

History

The original Ford Bantam launched in 1983 was based on the Ford Escort Mk III. It was produced at the Ford plant in Port Elizabeth and later in the Samcor plant in Pretoria, when Ford divested from South Africa. It was replaced by the second-generation Ford Bantam, with a Mazda 323 sixth-generation-based Ford Laser front end, and was also branded Mazda Rustler. The second model had a 1.6-liter inline-four engine.

The third-generation Ford Bantam was launched in 2002, using the Ford Fiesta Mark V (code-named BE91) front end, but still with the original Bantam loadbox and basic rear suspension. It was produced in the same plant in Pretoria (now belonging to Ford again). Engines were a 1.3-liter 8-valve and a 1.6-liter 8-valve Rocam petrol and a 1.8-litre idi normally aspirated diesel engine. The third model shares only the front end with the similar Brazilian-developed Ford Courier, with totally different rear ends. In 2006, it benefited from a mild front end and interior facelift. The 1.8-liter idi diesel engine was dropped from the line up. In early 2009, the Bantam was facelifted again with a new bonnet, headlamps, bumper, rear lights, nomenclature, instrument cluster, and interior trim. A modern diesel engine was also introduced to the range, the 1.4-litre DV4 (or DLD) engine.

The Bantam was sold successfully as a compact rugged commercial vehicle, as well as a leisure-oriented privately owned vehicle. Ford discontinued the Bantam in 2011,^[1] with no immediate replacement.^[2] The last Bantam ever built left the production line at 11:50, 17 November 2011, at the Ford plant in South Africa. It was a Bantam 1.3-L XL A/C "Colorado Red", Job Number RRB07972. It now resides in the Lazarus dealership's museum in Centurion, Gauteng, just south of Pretoria.

Ford Bantam (rear view)

References

Ford vehicles

Ford Motor Company

Current
production
models

Cars	B-MAX C-MAX/Grand C-MAX Falcon FG Falcon G-Series Fiesta Figo Fusion/Mondeo Focus Ka Mustang Taurus SHO Police Interceptor Sedan

Pickup Trucks	F-Series Ranger Super Duty Transit

SUVs/Crossovers	EcoSport Edge Escape/Kuga Expedition/Expedition EL/Max Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility Everest / Endeavour Flex Territory

Vans	E-Series Econovan Galaxy S-MAX Tourneo/Transit Courier Connect Custom

Commercial Trucks	Cargo Super Duty F-350/F-450/F-550 F-650/F-750

Former
production
models
(by date of
introduction)

1900s	Model A/AC Model B Model C Model F Model K Model N Model R Model S Model T

1910s–1920s	Model TT Model A Model AA

1930s–1940s	Model B Model BB Model 18 Model 40 Model Y Köln Rheinland Model 48 Model C Ten Eifel Model CX 1937 Ford Model 7W Model 7Y E83W Prefect Anglia 1941 Ford Vedette Pilot Pygmy Soybean Car 1949 Ford Custom Transit Bus

1950s	1952 Ford 1955 Ford 1957 Ford C-Series Trucks Consul Country Sedan Country Squire Courier Crestline Del Rio Edsel (Brand) Fairlane Galaxie Mainline Parklane Popular Ranchero Squire Taunus Thunderbird Versailles Zephyr

1960s	1960 Ford Bronco Capri Corcel Corsair Cortina Escort (Europe) Executive Fairlane Thunderbolt Ford Falcon GT40 H-Series Trucks LTD N-Series Trucks Torino W-Series Trucks XL

1970s	Elite Fairmont Granada (Europe) Granada (North America) L-Series Trucks Landau (Australia) Maverick (North America) P100 Pinto

1980s	Aerostar Bantam Bronco II Del Rey Escort (North America) EXP Festiva Laser / Lynx / Tierra / Meteor LTD Crown Victoria Orion Probe Pronto Ford Ranger (North America) RS200 Scorpio Sierra Telstar Tempo Verona

1990s	Aspire Contour Cougar Crown Victoria and Police Interceptor Maverick Puma Windstar ZX2

2000s	Activa Courier Excursion Explorer Sport Trac Fairlane (Australian) Five Hundred Freestar Fusion (Europe) Freestyle/Taurus X GT Ikon i-MAX (Taiwan) Maverick (Europe) Sportka/Streetka

2010s	SVT Raptor

Other

Category
Commons

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