Open-air Bronco roadster concept channels the original U13 with no doors, no roof and a manual, honoring the nameplate’s roots.
Ford is marking 60 years of Bronco heritage with a retro-modern roadster concept that strips the SUV to its essentials—no doors, no roof and a manual transmission—echoing the original drop-top that helped define the model’s go-anywhere spirit. Designed in Dearborn as a tribute to the earliest Broncos, the open-air study embraces the boxy proportions and unfussy details that endeared the first-generation trucks to off-roaders and style hunters alike.
The homage leans into a piece of Bronco history that predates today’s overlanding craze. When the nameplate launched, Ford sold it in three forms: the U14 half-cab pickup, the U15 wagon and the U13 roadster. Company materials from the era described the roadster as the “closest execution to an off-road Mustang,” linking Ford’s two equine badges in a single pitch: the utility of a truck with the playfulness of a sports car. That crossover appeal is what Ford’s designers set out to recreate—unyielding, open to the elements and deliberately simple.
The concept’s stance and surfaces are purposeful rather than precious. With the doors deleted and roof removed, the silhouette reads clean and upright, the windshield framing the horizon in the classic Bronco way. The manual gearbox underscores the back-to-basics brief, an invitation to row your own while crawling, cresting and cruising. It’s a formula that resonates with longtime fans and newer buyers who discovered the Bronco when the nameplate returned to showrooms in 2021.
Bronco’s revival rekindled demand for factory-backed open-air capability, but the modern lineup stopped short of a dedicated roadster. This study addresses that itch directly, leaning on heritage cues without turning into a caricature. The design team walked a familiar line for retro-inspired projects: honor the icon’s proportions and character while applying contemporary execution, materials and safety-minded engineering beneath the surface.
Beyond nostalgia, the concept sketches a clear use case. An open Bronco with a manual is a beach cruiser, a trail scout and a small-town parade favorite, all in one. The simplicity reduces weight and visual clutter, and it reconnects to a brand ethos forged before touchscreens and drive modes: a vehicle you can hose out and point toward the horizon.
Ford hasn’t detailed specifications, timelines or intentions for production. But the message is unmistakable. As Bronco celebrates a milestone year, the brand is reminding customers—and rivals—what set the original apart: approachable size, honest design and the elemental pleasure of wind, noise and grit. In an era of increasingly technical off-road flagships, the roadster concept makes a counterargument that feels timely: sometimes the most modern move is going back to basics.
