Getting Back to the Basics with Legendary Off-Roader

Ford Motor Company is calling 2004 "The Year of the Car" as it tries to resuscitate its ailing car sales, but then at the 2004 North American International Auto Show it had to slip in a concept SUV that just sent my spine tingling with excitement.

Ford Motor Company VP of Design J Mays introduces the Ford Bronco Concept Sunday January 4, 2004 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)

The silver color two-door Ford Bronco that rolled out Jan. 4 to the front of the stage that Ford had set up in Cobo Arena, was a surprise, since I was expecting the press conference to focus on future new car products, like the Five Hundred, the Mustang, the Focus, and the Freestyle crossover. The blocky vehicle before me was something sculpted and reminiscent of the black Bronco that my late uncle "Chick" had owned when he was a lieutenant in the Allen Park (Mich.) Fire Department.

And, unlike most Ford brand vehicles that have the blue oval plastered on the front and back, the name "Bronco" was stamped on the front grille, and "Ford" was stamped in big block letters on the tailgate, reminiscent of Ford trucks of old.

The Bronco concept borrows the iconic design cues of the original, from its upright profile to short wheelbase, and the round headlamps. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)

J Mays, Ford's Vice President of Design, the man who designed Volkswagen's New Beetle when he worked at the German automaker, stepped out of the Bronco concept like a proud father to introduce it.

"This tough little 'ute' draws on the spirit of the original Bronco, from an era of authentic, honest SUVs," Mays said. "This vehicle is meant to be tough, it's meant to be raw, it's rugged. It really is as if we had started with a solid chunk of iron and chiseled out just enough room for people, a spare tire, and very little else. The Bronco is meant to function more as a piece of equipment than a status symbol."