Photo: Ford Authority
Since the beginning of the F-Series in 1948 with the Bonus-Built line, the full-size workhorse never received a convertible option. If the Blue Oval were to make an open-air 4x4 truck, chances are it won’t look similar to the quirky rendering that caught my attention on this fateful day.
Coming courtesy of Ford Authority in SuperCab and SuperCrew configurations, the design study features “reinforced door sills, thicker frame rails, full-length cross bars, and new structural panels in high-flex areas.” The only problem with it concerns rollover safety, or better said, the lack of it.
Take, for example, the Bronco. It’s based on the Ranger mid-size pickup, it features many removable soft and hardtops, and you can drop them with little in the way of effort to expose plenty of rollover protection in the guise of sturdy bars. The F-150 doesn’t have that, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration certainly has a safety standard in this regard.
Looking at the bigger picture, there’s no reason for the Ford Motor Company to spend money designing an F-150 with an open-air setup. Fret not, however, because the Blue Oval is open to adding new members to the Bronco family in the nearest of futures, maybe even a pickup truck.
Speaking to Automotive News last year, U.S. consumer marketing manager Mark Grueber made it clear that “we’ll continue to look where there are customers we could satisfy and how to continue to expand the brand.” Reading between the lines, it’s easy to imagine the Ford Bronco Pickup Truck or whatever it will be called taking on the likes of the Jeep Gladiator.
The off-road workhorse from Toledo rocks a Sunrider canvas top, and every single trim level is available with a Freedom Top three-piece hardtop for $1,495 extra. In the Bronco’s case, the molded-in-color top is standard on the two-door model, while the four-door model comes with a cloth top.
Take, for example, the Bronco. It’s based on the Ranger mid-size pickup, it features many removable soft and hardtops, and you can drop them with little in the way of effort to expose plenty of rollover protection in the guise of sturdy bars. The F-150 doesn’t have that, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration certainly has a safety standard in this regard.
Looking at the bigger picture, there’s no reason for the Ford Motor Company to spend money designing an F-150 with an open-air setup. Fret not, however, because the Blue Oval is open to adding new members to the Bronco family in the nearest of futures, maybe even a pickup truck.
Speaking to Automotive News last year, U.S. consumer marketing manager Mark Grueber made it clear that “we’ll continue to look where there are customers we could satisfy and how to continue to expand the brand.” Reading between the lines, it’s easy to imagine the Ford Bronco Pickup Truck or whatever it will be called taking on the likes of the Jeep Gladiator.
The off-road workhorse from Toledo rocks a Sunrider canvas top, and every single trim level is available with a Freedom Top three-piece hardtop for $1,495 extra. In the Bronco’s case, the molded-in-color top is standard on the two-door model, while the four-door model comes with a cloth top.
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