The Amazing True Story of How the ‘Bronco Underground’ Helped Ford Bring Back the Bronco
It took years, dedication, and passion; but a group at Ford saw their dream for the return of the Bronco through to fruition.
Most stories in automotive history are often the stories of dreamers. From engineers to designers; front office to the production lines: the process of going from sketch to showroom is a long process. And today, this increasingly is one ruled by committee. But sometimes the driving force behind great vehicles can be a small, dedicated group that has a vision that won’t fade.
And that brings us to a story behind the mighty return of the Ford Bronco.
It was a long road to bring back the Bronco. The Bronco was discontinued in 1996, the final year of its fifth-generation. However, as the years passed without the spirited SUV it felt as if the Bronco still had an important place in Ford’s lineup. Some of the most vocal proponents came from inside the Blue Oval itself. And these fans–dubbed the “Bronco Underground”–never gave up on bringing back the noted rig.
The Underground began their quest in 1999. Under the code name “U260,” the team began working tirelessly to resurrect the Bronco. At the time, the name itself seemed to hint towards the next-gen Bronco’s future style. “U” was for utility, “2” for two-door, and “60” for the the Ranger pickup platform. With the Ranger, the team was trying to find a way to move the Bronco into the future in a cost-efficient way with true trucking roots.
“We looked back at the original Bronco, and we saw it”—the new one—“as being a back-to-basics vehicle,” Moray Callum, Ford’s chief designer and team member, told Bloomberg.
Callum’s group included a group of Ford employees including engineer Dan Schaffer, product strategist Tom Patterson, advanced product marketing direct Mark Grueber, and designer J Mays. They worked on their own time designing and redesigning the Bronco, each contributing their own perspective.
Without management’s knowledge; they were not only creating what would become the 2021 Bronco, but also has a fully fleshed-out business plan that fits in with changing industry trends. Their idea was a more simply designed Bronco that was rugged and capable, had options including two- and four-doors, and was affordable. This could open the market to younger buyers–but not alienate the fans.
But the ride was bumpy. Designs changed and altered over the years. They encountered delay after delay due to fluctuations in automotive hits and misses.
One memorable release was the 2004 Bronco concept that was shown at the 2004 Detroit auto show. Opinions were divided on the very Humvee-esque design.
“It gave us a lot of hope and a lot of frustration,” says Grueber. “It confirmed what the Underground believed—that there was a customer out there for another Bronco.” While the Bronco Underground were excited to see the Bronco face a possible revival, it missed their mark of fitting the right truck platform.
Among the many obstacles they faced, there was the recession, changes in Ford’s lineup, the rise of the crossover, a notorious car chase with a Heisman Trophy winner, and resistance from the industry. Was there a place for a Bronco? Could Ford revive the model?
“So many people doubted us,” Grueber says. “They all said Ford would screw it up.”
“We were just kind of scratching our heads,” says Patterson . “And we resolved to never give up.” And as we now know, the Bronco Underground was right.
Along the way the team abandoned using a Ranger platform when the Ranger was discontinued in America. But when Ford revived the Ranger, the opportunity, timing, and platform were finally aligned.
Seeking a model that could utilize the Ranger platform, it was, as Grueber says “like winning the lottery.”
The rest was (or will soon be history).
Recently the team spent an afternoon taking the Bronco out in dirt. Not only did they get to partake in the off-trail fun, they got to see years of devotion come to life.
“Did you see that?” says Patterson, off-road in the Bronco. “That was amazing. To see it in action, in motion, that’s just so sweet.”
Sweet indeed. And all because of the Bronco Underground; a team of diehards that refused to give up Bronco greatness.
Photos: Ford; Bloomberg
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