Sometimes it pays to hop on Twitter first thing in the morning to check the news. That was the case early on a Monday when I saw that Ford execs were going to be ringing in the trading day at the New York Stock Exchange. They’d brought with them a new 2021 Ford Bronco, Bronco Sport and F-150 pickups. So I grabbed my camera bag, hopped on a Citibike and hustled across the Brooklyn Bridge to get there before the opening bell. This would be a chance to shoot some photos of all the models making their first appearance in New York City.
One of the quirks of contemporary car design is the difficulty to judge the scale of a vehicle based on photographs. Most models have been proportionally up-sized over the years and what used to be a small car is now closer to mid-sized. That was my expectation for both versions of the new Bronco. Indeed, seeing them for the first time, there’s nothing compact about even the 2-door model.
Both the big Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport presented at the NYSE were actually part of a series of adventure concepts aimed at showing the potential of accessorization. A few of the accessory parts including the tubular doors are prototypes at this point. What’s already apparent is the sixth generation Bronco is a platform that will grow an enormous range of aftermarket businesses dedicated making and selling all kinds of bolt on bits of gear. Ford already has their own catalog of add-on parts cued up.
The bigger, ladder frame Bronco looks awesome and judging by my informal survey of people passing by taking photos with their phones, it easily got the most attention. The uni-body Bronco Sport, while not as extreme, also looks quite good. I think the way to go with the exterior of the Sport is a two-tone color scheme. Otherwise the character elements like the grille and roof would become a bit too subtle.
Not to forget, there was also a pair of 2021 F-150 trucks adjacent to the Broncos. The exterior design of full-size trucks across all the manufacturers has gotten too fussy in my opinion. I hope some of the vibes of the Bronco transfer over to truck design going back to a more function forward, industrial design look. The luxury and performance takes on pickups are getting pretty over the top.
Photos and Text: Dave Pinter
