Mooresville Ford and SUV Enthusiasts Looking Forward to the Return of the Ford Bronco | Community Ford Mooresville Blog
The Ford Bronco made a quick departure in place of the Ford Expedition back in the late 1990s. At that time, people were moving away from two-door to four-door SUVs. Rather than update the look and appearance of the Bronco for a sixth generation, Ford decided it was time to retire the Bronco. However, with the absence of the Bronco from Ford’s vehicle lineup for over 20 years, it has made SUV enthusiasts’ hearts grow fonder.
Since Ford is well-known for listening to people and their desires, it has decided to bring back production of the Ford Bronco as a 2020 model. The newly redesigned Bronco will be built in the original production plant that rolled out the first models back in 1965, located in Wayne, Mich.
A Brief History of the Bronco
Back in the1960s, other manufacturers were producing compact two-door SUVs that were catching the eye of consumers, namely the Jeep Wrangler (CJ-5) and the Scout from International Harvester. Ford wanted a piece of this newly developing market segment and went to work on designing their own simple, yet functional 4x4 SUV, which became to be known as the Bronco.
Ford had just released its muscle car, the Mustang, in 1964 and was looking for a strong follow-up in the SUV category. The first Broncos rolled onto showrooms floors at Ford dealerships in Mooresville and throughout the country on August 11, 1965, as a 1966 model.
The first generation Bronco saw minor changes during its ten-year run before it was replaced in 1978 with the second generation. Ford knew it needed to update the design of the Bronco to be more competitive with the bigger-sized SUVs its competitors had on the market at that time, like the Jeep Cherokee and Chevy Blazer.
The second generation was short-lived and incorporated many features found in Ford’s F-100 pickup. Ford quickly moved on to the third generation in 1980, with a newly design Bronco based on its seventh generation F-150 design.
With the pending release of the eighth generation of the F-150 in 1987, Ford also decided to give the Bronco a fresh update using similar features and options. Production of the fourth generation lasted until 1991.
The fifth, and last, generation of the Bronco was based upon the ninth generation Ford F-150. The last Broncos rolled off the production line in 1996, after which the model was discontinued. In 2004, Ford teased consumers with a Bronco concept at the North American International Auto Show, but this concept was never produced or released.
Then, during this year’s North American International Auto Show, Ford confirmed rumors that had been circulating about a revival of the Bronco. Ford has stated the Bronco would return as an originally designed vehicle for the 2020 model year. Ford is also reviving its Ranger pickup truck line, which is expected to be released as a 2019 model.
Remember to stop by Community Ford for regular updates, pictures, and other details about the upcoming release of the 2020 Bronco or 2019 Ranger, or call us at 317-831-2750 to learn about our latest special on current Ford models!
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