You know BC, I've been friends for 35 years with a Ranger rep and, of course, he said the exact same thing. There was even a video circulating at one time where Johnny was speaking at the first national dealer meeting after the takeover and saying, "I don't want to be known as the guy who screwed up Ranger Boats."
But as we all know, the only thing that stays the same in this world is that everything changes.
Forrest Wood was/is a shrewd businessman who made a fortune by emphasizing quality. Rangers have never been the fastest and never claimed to be. But they HAVE always claimed to be among the safest, longest-lasting and best-riding rigs around, and even those who dislike them have to admit they've backed up those claims tenfold.
We will see what the future holds, but I have to say I'm glad that my latest Ranger (2013 model) still has the 45th anniversary cowboy hat and Forrest L. Wood signature emblems on it.