Ford Built The Most Open Air Bronco It Could For Its Anniversary

There were two others. One had a half-cab, which looked a bit like a regular-cab pickup truck with an extremely short bed. The other was completely open. It had no top, and it didn't even have any doors. Instead, it just had finished openings where the doors would go, so you could easily jump in and out. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Bronco, Ford created a custom concept of the Bronco inspired by the original, which had the chassis code of U13. It's just as open as the original, and even has some other unique features you won't find on a typical modern Bronco.

A Close Copy Of A Specific Example

According to Ford, this concept was based around a particular example of a U13 Bronco. It was a vehicle that the design team used as a reference when it was working on the new SUVs. That original was painted Wimbledon White, and was as bare bones as any original. So, that's what Ford did with the new Roadster Concept. It's also painted Wimbledon White, with a dash of deep burgundy red at the tail where the 60th anniversary logo appears. Naturally, the doors had to go, and the leftover openings have been finished off with a slight angle, similar to the original. The most work probably went into the back of the vehicle, though, as the usual swing-out tailgate has been replaced for a truck-style drop-down unit. The sheet metal is custom, too, with vintage-style "FORD" lettering and a dropdown tailgate handle that might actually be vintage based on the looks. Ford also added some simple steel bumpers to each end, and some Fifteen52 wheels in a machined finish that look quite a bit like Ford's own Bronco Heritage trim wheels.

With no top, where the exterior ends and the interior begins is a bit ambiguous, particularly with the custom cargo area. Ford removed the rear seats to turn the rear into a truck-like cargo area. A full-size matching spare sits in the new bed, since it can't be fitted to the new tailgate. The front seats weren't left alone either, with Ford removing the headrests and upholstering them in silver vinyl. That vinyl also shows up on the grab handles. Ford further stripped the interior of all its carpeting, and painted the dash plastics in white to match the bare painted steel floors and panels in the original.

What we don't know about the Bronco Roadster Concept are all the mechanical details, but some of them are obvious from the photos. For one thing, it has a manual transmission, which continues with the simple and basic theme of the classic Bronco. That also means that it can only have the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder under the hood. We're guessing Ford didn't mess with it for this concept, so it probably still makes 300 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque.

It's Not Going Into Production

One thing Ford was explicit about was that it has no intention of selling a version of the Bronco Roadster. We're not entirely surprised. To get this look, Ford didn't just get rid of the roof and doors, but it also removed all of the factory roll cage, and that's a definite no-go. The same applies to the lack of head restraints and the switch to lap belts instead of 3-point belts. Also, while people like open-air driving, they also usually like the ability to put up a roof if it gets wet, and to be able to fully secure their vehicle. Still, this is a really cool concept, and it would be neat if some details inspired by it came out in the future. For instance, maybe Ford could create some aftermarket door frame covers for people who like to drive with the doors off regularly. Maybe Ford could even do some cool custom interiors for some special editions. Those ideas are yours for the taking, Ford.