The Bronco II did not work for anyone


Ford, perhaps more than any other manufacturer, has a long and mixed history of reviving and reinventing its own cars. The Thunderbird, for example, underwent nearly a dozen iterations, and only came to a revival of the successful first generation in its eleventh and final form, the unfortunate 2002 model. The Mustang reinvented itself twice only in its first generation, growing in size and power until it was unrecognizable, and he was forced to live again as the ill-conceived Mustang II and escape rebirth as the front-wheel drive “Pony” car that became the Test before it finally landed in a successful redesign. retro in 2005. Even the GT40, Ford’s only great sports car, has seen its name and styling cues brought in as a retro-futuristic limited offering and a completely unique halo car.

This is the legacy of the 2021 Bronco, one of memorable revival and reinvention that seems to work or fail spectacularly. The Bronco already appears to be on the right side of the division, but it wasn’t as lucky in 1983, when it revived bafflingly as the Bronco II while the original line was still alive.

The 1966 Bronco, now a cult classic and the main inspiration for the 2021 revival, was not a success. The Bronco line itself was little more than a moderate success until it reinvented itself in the image of the largest and most successful Chevrolet K5 Blazer in 1978, but that wouldn’t stop Ford’s enthusiasm for the Bronco concept. For Ford, it seemed, there was still an untapped market for a smaller truck-capable car, and the Bronco line could still reach that mark.

denver post archives

Denver Postfake pictures

This line of thinking is what led to the creation of Bronco II, a Ranger-based offering built on the original Bronco model. The concept, a small but capable car that could fulfill the duties of both a recreational off-road vehicle and a work truck capable enough while maintaining enough commitments to function as the only family car for someone who, for some reason, wants these features. every day, it was sound. However, the car itself was not, and it quickly gained a reputation for overturning.

The combination of a dangerous reputation and lack of outstanding features to effectively create a new segment left the Bronco II replicating its 1966 ancestor by failing to achieve hit status. Instead, the segment he hoped to create was forged by the 1984 Jeep Cherokee, a smaller SUV that firmly established the appeal of engaging trucks that could operate as family cars. The Explorer line, a car with its own rollover problems, would follow in the footsteps of the Cherokee and replace the Bronco II, and, while the Bronco itself would live until 1996, the car created in its original image would vanish in 1990.

Through the ages of wagons, minivans, SUVs and now crossovers, the demand for compromising family cars offering both size and practicality has remained constant. With both the original Bronco and Bronco II, Ford was prophetic in seeing where that lawsuit would go. Both times, their madness meant they could create entirely new segments to fulfill it. Neither car offered enough to do what the Mustang made so famous, to create a market for them among existing markets.

The success of the Bronco 2021, however, will depend on the value of two uniquely engaging cars that use a now iconic name to grow their segments, rather than creating new ones. The Bronco Sport will have to demonstrate the value of adding real off-road capability to the compact crossover segment, while the Bronco will have to do what the original Bronco couldn’t, prove there is room for two in space. Jeep Wrangler has dominated for so long.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported into this page to help users provide their email addresses. You can find more information about this and similar content on piano.io

This comment section is created and maintained by a third party, and imported into this page. You may be able to find more information on their website.