It’s only been five days since Ford fully revealed what’s probably the most exciting they’ve made since, well, ever. The 2021 Ford Bronco is finally here, and we love what we’re seeing so far. It seems that Ford has been listening and doing their homework, and it has struck a chord with not just off-road enthusiasts, but those who have grown up with remembering the Bronco name since they stopped production about 24 years ago. Not only does it look pretty darn cool, but it also comes with a slew of thoughtful features that can help it go toe-to-toe with its rival, the Jeep Wrangler. It wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies, however, as the Bronco has gone through a lot of challenges before actually getting the green light from the head honchos at Ford.
Gallery: 2021 Ford Bronco
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Bloomberg published an awesome article detailing the history of the Ford Bronco’s comeback, going into some deep detail on the stuff going on behind all the PR and fluff. Heck, they even mentioned that there was a team called the Bronco Underground that actually sketched the new-generation Bronco, all without prior approval or the knowledge of Ford. They kept on begging for a chance and wanted to convince everyone that the Bronco still had some kick left. Unfortunately, the timing was off in the late 90s. According to Mark Grueber, director of advanced product marketing and someone who pushed for the Bronco, “So many people doubted us. They all said Ford would screw it up.”
The initial idea in the late ’90s was to create a vehicle the moved away from its boxy origins with a minimalist design that would cater to younger buyers. Two and four-door versions were created, and it seemed pretty good until a scandal came along, dragging the Bronco revival along with it. Budget cuts and a weak business case were stopping things from progressing, yet consumers wanted capable high-riding vehicles. You could kinda imagine the frustration of the guys behind the revival of the Bronco.
And when people wanted retro-looking and off-road capable crossovers and SUVs, the Bronco idea finally had an opening. It also helped that the change in management knew that it would be great to refer to Ford’s playbook of older hits. We don’t want to go too much into it here, so it’s best to check out the fun article that Bloomberg put together. Thankfully, I think we can all agree that the July 9 launch didn’t stick, right?
