This May Be the Coolest Ford Bronco Since the '60s
There are no doors, no roof, no automatic gearbox, and no rear seats.
A production version is unlikely, but we can still dream.
Ford has just cut itself perhaps the best yet slice of Bronco birthday cake with a new roadster concept. Doorless, roofless, and with the spare tire mounted in the bed, this two-seater concept is an imagining of what the pared-back 1966 U13 Bronco roadster would look like if modernized for the current generation. It's stripped out, open to the elements, and comes with a manual gearbox. Yes please.
"What struck me about the original roadster was its compelling simplicity," said Bronco chief designer Robert Gelardi in an official release. "It didn't need big tires, a lift, or off-road lights to look good."
It's such a tease that this roadster is concept only at this point, because it's basically the off-road version of the Mazda MX-5. It's rugged enough, a tough little mule that you can imagine taking on some pretty gnarly terrain, but there's none of the posing you get from the big-light-bar crowd. It's just as appealing and honest as an original 1960s Bronco is, which is frankly impressive in a world where most restomods and concepts have the visual subtlety of a professional wrestling match.
While it's a concept, everything here works. The rear bed treatment is fully functional, with a fold-down tailgate with old-school-style sheetmetal stamped with "Ford." The graphics are relatively restrained, the seating material matches the '60s original in looking slightly Star Trek themed, and even the modern chrome wheels aren't overdone.
Perhaps no greater proof of a good retro-modern design is in parking it next to the original. Put a modern Defender next to an early Series Land Rover, and it's like seeing Hagrid chatting with Harry Potter. With these two Broncos, it's more like grownup grandson and still-spry grandpa. Companies often wax overly rhapsodic about model DNA, but these two do look genuinely related despite six decades between them.
Will we see a production model? Probably not. As is the case with the Jeep Wrangler, Ford moves a lot of four-door Broncos. People love the idea of pared-back retro design, but owning a truck that doesn't come with any kind of roof is probably taking things a little too far.
Still, as an homage to the 1960s original, the Bronco Roadster concept is cool as heck. It's a long shot that you'll ever see one in showrooms, but blow out those birthday candles and make a wish anyway.
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