First Pre-Production 2021 Broncos Roll off the Assembly Line

First two of what will be many more 2021 Broncos have been built at the Michigan Assembly Plant.

Since the 2021 Ford Bronco was revealed back in July, we’ve seen a number of pre-production prototypes out testing on some of America’s toughest off-road trails. But none of those prototypes were built on an actual assembly line – rather, they were all put together by hand. As we impatiently wait for Ford’s off-road SUV to begin deliveries this coming spring, however, we’ve reached another important step in the timeline as two pre-production 2021 Broncos have rolled off the line at the Michigan Assembly Plant.

We know this because Bronco Nation was on hand to take some pictures of this fascinating and historic process. It might sound somewhat insignificant in the grand scheme of things, since there will soon be a slew of 2021 Broncos rolling off the line. But in reality, Ford must test out its tooling before that can happen, and that’s exactly what this job was all about.

The 2021 Broncos built at the plant consisted of one two-door and one four-door. The smaller Bronco was a Base model, while the four-door was a Badlands. Both are powered by Ford’s 2.3-liter EcoBoost I4. The Badlands is equipped with a 10-speed automatic transmission, while the base features the new crawler gear-equipped seven-speed manual.

Ford finished the Badlands Bronco in Oxford White with a mold-in color hardtop, while the Base was sprayed in Iconic Silver and is fitted with a black hard top. The latest photos shared by Bronco Nation show the two rugged rides having their bodies attached to the rolling chassis, which is a pretty cool thing to see.

Bronco fans have waited a long time to see a new version of Ford’s iconic model roll off the assembly line, and now we’ve finally reached that point. It’s been over three years since we first learned the Bronco was coming back following what is now a nearly quarter-century absence. So you could say this news is kind of a big deal.

That long wait will finally be over for the 165,000+ Bronco reservation holders when deliveries begin in spring of 2021. And we bet it won’t be much longer after that when the sixth-generation model is taking up space at every local trail, grocery store, and shopping complex in town.

Photos: Bronco Nation

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Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.