• Ford presents the Bronco Roadster Concept.
The style of the current Ford Bronco is inspired by the first-generation models that arrived on the market for the 1966 model-year. With the model's 60th anniversary just around the corner, the company once again paying homage to the past with a new concept version of the SUV, this time showing the Bronco as a roadster with no doors and no roof and with a spare tire installed in the bed.
The model is directly inspired by the 1966 U13 roadster, a super-minimalist model that represents the purity of a utility vehicle designed for fun. The new Bronco Roadster is of course modernized, but it retains its pure side, down to the manual transmission.
Said Robert Gelardi, the Bronco's chief designer, “What struck me about that original roadster was its compelling simplicity. It didn't need big tires, a lift, or off-road lights to look good. It was just this pure expression of what I call “Go Anywhere, Open Air” – the essential cool that made Bronco special from day one.”
Only a concept
The concept presented by Ford is functional, with a fold-down tailgate and a functional interior, but don’t count on seeing a production version land at dealerships. Bronco buyers prefer four-door versions, and above all, with a roof... and doors.
In any event, the Bronco Roadster Concept closely resembles the model that inspired it. One of the images even shows the two vehicles side-by-side.
If the public response is very strong, could the company be tempted to turn this into a production model? One never knows, does one.
Even if it doesn’t, Ford has shown with this concept that this type of totally original model is one element missing from the automotive landscape today.
