Ford Motor says the Bronco will return to the global market starting in 2020 after years of customer requests and speculation.
The popular mid-size SUV became part of pop culture history after former pro football player OJ Simpson used a white model in a low-speed car chase on a freeway in Los Angeles.
The Ranger, a mid-size pickup truck, will enter the automaker’s North American vehicle lineup in 2019, Ford said Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Both vehicles will be manufactured at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan.
“We’ve heard our customers loud and clear,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of The Americas. “They want a new generation of vehicles that are incredibly capable yet fun to drive. Ranger is for truck buyers who want an affordable, functional, rugged and maneuverable pickup that’s Built Ford Tough. Bronco will be a no-compromise midsize 4×4 utility for thrill seekers who want to venture way beyond the city.”
The Bronco was first produced in 1966 and its production run ended in 1996.
Ford also unveiled the new F-150 pickup truck Monday and announced it will expand its Chariot ride-sharing service to eight cities. At least one of those cities will be outside of the U.S.
In September, Ford acquired Chariot, a San Francisco-based shuttle service startup that used crowdsourcing to determine where people needed rides. Ford did not disclose the acquisition price at the time.
The shuttles, which currently operate in San Francisco and Austin, Texas, aim to fill the needs that bus and taxi services can’t, and Ford said it will also help reduce traffic congestion.
“This year, the expansion of our business as an auto and mobility company moves into even higher gear,” Ford CEO and president Mark Fields said Monday. “We’re introducing even more new vehicles and technologies to make life better for millions of people in the near term, plus we’re presenting a vision and partnering with cities to move more people even more efficiently in the future.”
