The Bronco is expected to be one of Ford’s biggest non-electric vehicle launches in years.
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June
15, 2021
3 min read
This story originally appeared on ValueWalk
The Ford Motor Company has started manufacturing the Bronco SUV again after a 25-year hiatus. The automaker is delivering the first SUVs to dealerships a little earlier than expected. Ford said in December that supply problems related to the pandemic would delay the first Bronco deliveries until late summer.
Taking Tesla as an example, Ford is live-streaming a Bronco Celebration event at 10 a.m. ET from its Michigan factory. The livestream will feature members of the Bronco team and provide a closer look at the Modification Center, where Ford customizes trucks on-site with accessories before they ship.
According to CNBC , the Bronco is expected to be one of Ford’s biggest non-electric vehicle launches in years. The two- and four-door models currently rolling off the assembly line will likely be the flagship of a new family of Bronco vehicles.
Bronco marketing manager Mark Grueber told CNBC on Monday during a factory tour that it is “amazing” to see the new SUVs roll off the line. He noted that nearly 25 years had passed since the day the last Bronco rolled down the line. The date was June 12, 1996. Ford originally produced the Bronco from 1965 to 1996.
Long-term plan to bring the Bronco back
Ford has been working to bring the Bronco back for years, having initially announced plans to do so in January 2017. The new Bronco joins the smaller and less expensive Bronco Sport, which recently began landing in showrooms at dealerships in America year. The Bronco Sport is built in Mexico and features the Bronco styling, but it’s built more like a crossover or car than a truck .
Grueber told CNBC that the Michigan factory is “trying to increase production as quickly as possible to meet the huge demand.” The automaker’s Michigan assembly plant is running two of three shifts with 3,000 workers, including 2,800 hourly members of the United Auto Workers union. Union leaders believe the new Bronco will be a success and pressure Ford to add a third shift. The factory also produces the mid-size Ranger pickup truck.
The Ford Bronco starts at $ 30,000 to $ 60,000, depending on the trim level selected, while the Bronco Sport starts at $ 28,000 to $ 40,000.