The Ford Ranger on display at the Washington Auto Show looks like a customising shop got hold of it, turning a mild-mannered little pickup into a slick street ride with a super-low front grille, chrome running boards and carbon-fiber dashboard inserts. But this mod-job is straight from the factory.It is the Ranger STX, Ford’s effort to make a play for young, urban consumers who watch TV car shows like MTV’s Pimp My Ride or Overhaulin on The Learning Channel.The popularity of those over-the-top decorating shows for vehicles has pumped new life into the auto customising business, as more mainstream consumers decide they want to trick out their car or truck with fancy accessories.The auto parts and accessories industry has doubled in size in a decade, reaching $29 billion in sales last year, according to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA). That’s a stream of money too big for the auto industry to ignore, so car manufacturers are beginning to offer options up front that once were available only from the local hot-rod shop. Toyota blazed the way with its youth-oriented brand Scion, which offers such must-have accessories as glowing cup holders and multicoloured dash displays. ‘‘What some manufacturers figured out is if they contract with (customisers) or make the products in-house, they can make a lot more money,’’ said Dan Kahn, a road-test editor at Edmunds.com.While that seems like a predatory business move, small customising companies actually welcome the trend, according to Peter MacGillivray, Vice-President of marketing and communications for the California-based SEMA. ‘‘What they’re really going to do is plant the seed, plant the notion of personalisation and accessorisation in so many more places than we ever could,’’ MacGillivray said, adding that big car companies ‘‘have the single largest marketing budgets in the world.’’ ‘‘Who better to highlight the fun . of tricking out your car than them?’’Ford’s new Ranger STX will be unveiled at the week-long Washington Auto Show starting December 26 and will hit showrooms next month in limited numbers. —LAT-WP
