It's notoriously known for being the getaway vehicle by which O.J. Simpson led police, during a June 1994 low-speed highway chase. That paved the way for the "Trial of the Century" with Simpson being found not guilty in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
Now, according to multiple reports, Ford is considering a revival of the Bronco SUV for the right reason: to feed the United States' continued demand for SUVs and trucks. Early on, critics seem to like the idea of the Bronco being back on the road.
"It's a good move," said John Wolkonowicz, a Boston-based independent analyst, to Bloomberg, of putting the Bronco back on the market. "Gen Y has discovered the original Bronco. Ford has seen what the Mustang can do for them and they are bringing back their iconic names."
According to Bloomberg, the new Bronco would be a mid-sized SUV like Ford's Explorer, but an insider tells the news outlet that it will be built on a pickup frame.
"The only way this makes sense is if it is more rugged and likely targeted at Jeep," said Jeff Schuster, an analyst at LMC Automotive consultants in Southfield, Michigan, to Bloomberg.
The Bronco debuted in 1966 and was discontinued 30 years later in 1996 — after Simpson's infamous June 1994 getaway chase using the SUV and his October 3, 1995 not-guilty verdict that followed.
In addition to the Bronco, Ford is also considering reviving its Ranger small pickup, which the company ended production of in 2011.
The return of the Bronco and Ranger would give Ford two more vehicles to compete against Toyota and General Motors. Bringing both vehicles back would also secure union workers jobs.
