The Wrangler has also had the same basic, unmistakable look for 75 years. The Bronco went to the general public 20 years after the CJ2A did, and changed radically only 11 years later. Now, 21 years after leaving the face of the Earth, it's fighting for a comeback, while most of the target audience either found something else to replace it, or got over needing an off-road SUV. I still bet there's an audience for a true Wrangler-fighter out there.

The more I think about a luxury, limited-edition Bronco, the more ridiculous the idea sounds. If it were a luxury SUV, the Bronco nameplate is totally wrong. Also, what kind of luxury (non sports car) vehicle has two doors? It's also already being heavily marketed as an off-road vehicle by Ford; that doesn't fit the bill either.
It could be that the guy who supposedly saw it could have seen a high-end 'Limited' style variation, like the F150 Limited trim level. Ford has been known for testing the highest-end variation of a certain model before release.(Remember the Limited 2018 F150 caught testing a day or so before the '18 release?)

Even though I'm expecting to be disappointed that the Bronco won't be a tough off-road Wrangler-fighter, I still have a nagging feeling that I'll be looking back on these early guessing-game topics, laughing my butt off at how wrong we were!

 

Ford and other companies have a history of reintroducing nameplates without much allegiance to the original car. Remember in the recent past such vehicles as the "500" (which became the Taurus).

The best example is probably the "Thunderbird"---think of what happened with the Tbird during its lifetime, going from 2 seats to 4 seats (so it would sell more), and ending up as a version of the Continental Mark IV (a huge flabby boat) and eventually a Torino, a Fairmont/Fox body (ewwww), and then a jelly bean on the Fox platform. Then it's own widebody design (89-97)....then dead for a while. And then the reintroduced 2 seater 2002-2005, a boulevard sports car like the original 55-57 that was pretty much a flop.

So if the Bronco ends up as an Everest with a removeable roof panel, it will still be closer to the original than some of the weird Tbird mutations....

Still looking out for some inside info but it's been really quiet around the Detroit area.

 

The more I think about it I hope they don't go ahead with the Bronco. They are going to screw it up anyway.

 

All they have to do is keep it simple. But I'm afraid that's too much to ask. Using a Wrangler as a template/target would be the way to go. I expect more of an FJ Cruiser though. That wouldn't be too bad if the FJ concept was cleaned up and tweaked to make a good Bronco.

And let's face it. Bronco was never an inovator. The '66 was a blatant copy of the International Scout and the '78 was a copy of the Chevy/GMC K5 Blazer/Jimmy and the Dodge/Plymouth Ramcharger/Trail Duster.

Some will disagree. Scout was introduced in 1961, Blazer in '69 and Ramcharger in '74. Bronco continued until '77 in it's original form. Then copied GM and Dodge in '78.

 

Let's face the facts. It will be a body-on-frame, midsize, off-road SUV built in Detroit by Ford. If it had been named anything else, everyone here would be rejoicing; but everyone is complaining because it's being named something that some people believe isn't suitable enough.

The Bronco changed so much over the years...what exactly was a Bronco? All anyone can come up with regarding that question are the few things the original and Big Bronco had in common, mainly: Two doors, a frame, and off-road capability. So far, it appears the new Bronco will have all those things. We're just lucky that the Bronco isn't re-emerging as a crossover after 21 years of being gone.

Besides, it's just a name. The Bronco transitioned from one thing to the next so frequently. Everyone has a different image of a Bronco in their head, and anything that goes against that image with the same name is Ford "screwing it up". We're already assuming it will be awful, and are saying Ford screwed it up. We haven't even seen spy shots yet!!

I'm keeping an open mind. I have a feeling it'll be great!

Sorry, I'll get down from my soapbox now.

 

Looks like you want a Wrangler -- just go out and get one. Chances are Ford won't compete with a Wrangler -- they don't need to, and they would be foolish to even try.

 

I disagree a modern Bronco designed to compete with Wrangler has huge appeal to actual offroad enthusiasts and those just wearing the Wranglers like a fashion accessory. Factor in Fords engine options and the lure away from a Wrangler is strong, very strong.

 

Don't forget that if Ford decides to compete against the Wrangler (my favorite option at this point) there's one trait the Bronco may inherit from the Ranger/Everest that the Wrangler can't compete with: water fording!

The Bronco may be a more city-friendly Wrangler, yet still just as capable off-road.

As we move into Summer, I'm starting to notice first-hand how many Wranglers there are on the road--the vast majority of them with the doors removed. Although I doubt it will happen, a Bronco with removable doors could be a big-seller!

 

A couple things here:
1.) Ford Bronco sales averaged around 34,000/year from 1990-1996
2.) The Everest is body on frame.

So, where does that leave the new "Bronco"? The FJ cruiser was begged for and when it was reintroduced in 2006-2014 sold about 15,000 units per year. It would be highly naive to think Ford is going to produce something to sell so few of. The current Everest would be the most off road capable SUV in the U.S. market after the Wrangler. The problem is that those of us who want that are in an extreme minority. Even the Wrangler sales that go to the true off road crowd are extremely low. It is bought because of it's iconic name and appearance. Had Jeep not introduced the Unlimited 4-door model it would have probably died a slow death as a 2 door. IMO, if Ford made a full size 2 door Bronco again it could possibly sell 40k-50k units a year at best. I'd say Ford is hoping that with the Ranger and "Bronco" being closely similar, they are shooting for a combined sales target. Probably like 200,000 units per year. If those numbers lean heavily towards the Ranger, say 150k and only 50k for the Bronco, we'll see the Bronco name dies quickly again. Just my thoughts...

 

The FJ Cruiser sold poorly because it was lame.
Horribly laggy acceleration, huge blind spots, and a body mount in the front wheel well which did not need to be there that rubbed against tires which were one whole inch bigger than stock.
It may not have started out as a bad idea, but the execution fell short.

 

From what I read most people are not happy with what it looks like Ford will offer as the Bronco. If they are going to offer something that looks like the Everest, it would be just another SUV that Ford will call a Bronco. Why bother? I don't think very many people want that. Those that do don't need it to be called a Bronco.
The concepts I have seen over the past 10 years or so were cool.
However, the most recent ones just aren't Broncos. At best they look like Cherokee or Wagoneer or even a 4Runner. When we ask for a Bronco, we want a Bronco.
And whether it is a Spartan 2-door open off roader like the early Bronco, or a cool new rendition of the Full Size, I'd buy one. Otherwise, no way.
My feeling is if Ford makes a 4-door that resembles anything but an early Bronco or a Full Size Bronco, it will be like a "New Coke" mistake.

 

In 2016, Ford's combined US sales of the Explorer and Escape were about 600,000 units. I am guessing that almost everyone complaining about an Everest-based Bronco would likewise "hate' the current Explorer and Escape.

It's about sales and profit numbers, not about what a handful of Bronco "purists" want. I keep asking how many people want a 1966 or 1978 F100 pickup instead of a 2017 F150, and nobody seems to be demanding one of those archaic bench-seat pickups. Consumer expectations have changed. I bought a 1978 F100 as my first new vehicle and would have preferred a 1978 Bronco. In 2017, I would much prefer an Americanized Everest.

Ford is not after 34,000 sales per year like the 1990-96 Bronco. Those are chump change numbers and the successor, the 4-door Expedition, sold over 200,000 units in 1997. If you want to argue that as a failure, go for it... Explorer sales from 1995-2003 were around 400,000 per year. That was a separate body/frame SUV very much like the Everest.

Just like the 1958+ 4-seat Thunderbird outsold the iconic 2-seat 1957 Thunderbird 4 to 1... Yeah, the '55-57 2-seater was really cool, and Ford reintroduced a 2-seater in 2002 and killed it in 2005 because it was a huge marketing failure.

Ford's business is making profits and making its stockholders happy, not satisfying a niche of enthusiasts with vehicles that won't make money and fail in the mass market. I somehow hope that the Bronco will straddle the enthusiast market and the mass market, because my neighbors who work at the Wayne, Michigan plant deserve to keep their jobs and build a popular pair of vehicles in the Ranger and the Bronco.

 

So, then they should not bother calling it a Bronco.

I have read a few of your posts on this issue. I see that you say it is about sales and not what a handful of Bronco purists want. I think most of us realize that.

And I see that you keep asking who wants a 1966 or 1978 F100 with a bench seat instead of a 2017 F150. I don't see that vintage Ford pick-ups have anything to do with this. Those statements seem like misdirection.

I haven't heard anyone state that "being Bronco" or "being true to Bronco" requires bench seats, or roll up windows, or am only radios or foregoing any other technology or modern comfort.

To me the issue is that Ford decided to bring back the "Bronco" and people think it should remind them of a Bronco.

And when most people think of a Bronco, they think of a 2-door tough SUV.

If Ford does not want to give respect to what a Bronco is, then they should not call their Everest a Bronco and expect anyone to respect it.

And, if Ford is not going to bring back a true Bronco, why even bother. What would Everest bring to Ford that the other 6-7 Ford SUV type vehicles don't have?

As for respecting the "image" of an iconic vehicle, I don't think your Thunderbird example is on point either.

Do you think if Chevrolet got rid of the Corvette for 20 years it would be a good idea to try to bring the Corvette back as a sedan?

Ford seems to be doing pretty well with the Mustang. That car respects its 60s image.

And, how about Dodge? It seems to be doing pretty well respecting the vintage image of the Challenger and Charger.

The Camaro reminds me of the late 60s. That seems to do well.

I don't keep up on sales numbers for Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet or anyone else. But, I see people loving those vintage looking bad-to-the-bone cars.

Anyway, since it is all about sales, if Ford can't sell real Broncos, then I say leave it dead. Don't ruin the image. If they do it, I will lose respect for them.

But, if they do build a real Bronco, I will purchase one.

 

Ford owns rights to the name; they can use it on whatever they want.

I had an FJ40 Toyota Land Cruiser a while back. The current Land Cruiser is a large luxury SUV with 4 doors but is still pretty tough. (Not talking about the FJ Cruiser but the Land Cruiser.)

You might also follow the Land Rover name and note the evolution of vehicles called Land Rovers. They are exclusively luxurious 4 doors now unlike the legendary 2 door original.

The Land Cruiser and Land Rover are both iconic off road nameplates and are another good illustration of how the market has changed.

What the Bronco will bring to the market is a body/frame, off-road capable SUV, which Ford does not have right now. And which no other American company builds, with the exception of the Jeep Wrangler. (Not counting the Expy, Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban here.) Using the Bronco name on a crossover (car based) SUV would be a problem for me. I don't like the idea that the Jeep Cherokee name now applies to a transverse-engined Fiat car-based crossover...so I'm a purist in that way myself.

The current F series pickup when compared to the old ones also shows how the truck market has changed. Nobody wants a 2-door bench (or bucket) seat pickup truck. When the Raptor (which should have been a short bed 2 door body for best off road performance) came out as a Supercab, buyers demanded a Crew Cab, and got it. And that is the model that sells the most.

The Charger used to be a large 2-door coupe. Have you counted the doors on the new one? Your pony car examples have less to do with the truck and SUV market than my pickup truck examples.

By definition, whatever Ford builds and calls a Bronco *will* be a real Bronco just like current F series pickups are as real as every F series pickup built since 1948. I can only hope that we'll both like it.

 

In the truck argument, they do still offer that 2 door bench seat truck though. All a lot of people are hoping for is that Ford will give us that option to have a 2 door Bronco with a proper removable top. Also make the 4 door version that is fine to mass market it, but just give us that 2 door option!