Ford brought a custom Bronco concept to the public to celebrate the SUV’s six-decade history.
Back in the 1960s, automakers were just creating the early examples of what would go on to become icons in their own right. We had the Scout, we had the Wagoneer, and we had the Ford Bronco, just to name a few. Well, the Blue Oval saw fit to bring a special throwback concept to the original model, complete with no top, no doors and badass looking retro wheels, among a host of other unique touches you just don’t find on modern SUVs (even today’s Bronco).
“Turning the 6G into an OG” was the guiding star for the project, according to the company’s announcement. To that end, the design team — led by Ford’s design head Todd Willing, director Paul Wraith and Bronco chief designer Robert Gelardi — pared back pretty much everything from the modern Bronco, creating a modern iteration of the roadster (specifically the 1966 “U13” model) many folks remember, alongside the U14 half-cab pickup and the U15 wagon.
The interior is far more utilitarian with no carpets, no rear seats to speak of and just enough space for a spare wheel and a fold-down tailgate, for a start. The front and rear bumper are just simple piece of steel, and while it still does have modern screens, they sort of take a back seat to all the retro touches baked into the design. Machined Fifteen52 wheels also offer up a nice nod to the past, while still looking cool and modern.
Apart from a touch of contrast along the sides and the rear quarter (with a 60th anniversary decal, which is a nice touch), the Bronco Roadster Concept is Wimbledon White inside and out. Ford didn’t include much technical information, since this concept is more of a design throwback, but you can plainly see the 7-speed manual transmission standing out against the bright interior. Again, a relatively simple and straightforward approach to, say, Ford’s modern 10-speed automatic, so the theme fits here.
Sadly, Ford doesn’t plan to actually put this concept into production. It’s selling you the four-door 60th Anniversary model instead, to say nothing of the ramifications of selling an SUV with no roof, no doors and without modern seats (or seatbelts, for that matter). It’s still an awesome looking concept, though, and fingers crossed we’ll see some more cool-looking special editions emerge for the Bronco, just like we’ve gotten with the Jeep Wrangler for years on end. Ford did also reveal the Silver Lake Sand Dunes project rigs, and those have Ford Performance parts to where you could actually create the build yourself, if you wanted.
