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Ford patents removable top for (Bronco?) pickup aimed at Gladiator

Bronco II

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Ford-Convertible-Truck-Top-Patent-006.jpg


http://fordauthority.com/2019/09/ford-patent-shows-convertible-truck-aiming-at-gladiator/

Ford is done letting Jeep have all the fun and grab all the customers when it comes to off-road vehicles that have tops that are removable. Ford is aiming directly at the Jeep Wrangler with the coming Ford Bronco. So far Ford patents have turned up that show multiple ways that the removable doors on the Bronco can be stored and how they are better than what Jeep offers.

The Bronco is also expected to have a removable roof to compete with the Wrangler. Jeep has a cool pickup in the mid-size market where the Ford Ranger plays. Not only is the Jeep Gladiator very capable off-road, but it also has the same removable doors and a removable roof like the Wrangler.

Ford-Convertible-Truck-Top-Patent-007-1024x781.jpg


A new Ford patent application has turned up that shows a pickup with a removable hardtop. The pickup in the art appears to be the Ford Ranger. We’d bet the rumored Bronco pickup would get the removable top treatment. The Ford patent shows a top that appears to have clamps of some sort that would allow the top to be taken off. The patent says that the top would have a windshield header, a body structure in the back, and a roof cap that can be removed.

The patent app says that the removable roof cap assemblies would have self-aligning mounting systems that make installation and removal easy to accomplish by a single person. This isn’t something that can be said of Jeeps. The art shows a version of the removable hardtop that has the sliding window common on Ford trucks and a version that lacks that sliding window.

Ford-Convertible-Truck-Top-Patent-001-1024x965.jpg


The idea of a removable hardtop that one person can easily handle should be very appealing to Jeep owners. We are curious how Ford might accommodate roof storage, which is the big downside to removing anything other than the Freedom Panels on a Gladiator or Wrangler.


Ford-Convertible-Truck-Top-Patent-002.jpg


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Ford-Convertible-Truck-Top-Patent-007.jpg
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Stampede.Offroad

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That's an interesting hood design. It would seem to be more focused on forward visibility than most pickups.

I'm not a big proponent of removable roofs, but I get the impression that most people weren't thinking of a panel that would take the place of a panoramic sunroof. That would seem to leave a lot of cabin sheetmetal up when it was off.
 

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I wonder how the sales figures of Gladiator compare to Wrangler... it has sort of created it's own market, but I'm not certain how "deep" that market is. Sure, Jeep fans are frothing at the mouth over it - as they do about anything new from Jeep - but I don't know if Gladiator sales are conquests from other brands or if they are stealing directly from Wrangler instead of boosting overall brand numbers. I've only seen one locally, and there are tons of Wranglers around here.

I'm sure Ford is watching those numbers closely if they are even remotely considering jumping back into the micro-bed pickup market. I have my doubts that they'll make a Bronco pickup because I don't think the market is there, but it would speak volumes of Ford's intentions toward dominating Jeep if they do.
 
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Stampede.Offroad

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... I'm sure Ford is watching those numbers closely if they are even remotely considering jumping back into the micro-bed pickup market. I have my doubts that they'll make a Bronco pickup because I don't think the market is there, but it would speak volumes of Ford's intentions toward dominating Jeep if they do.
I suspect the only "Bronco Pickup" we're likely to see is the compact Courier/Ranchero one.

Making a second Ford midsize pickup seems far fetched unless some spectacular sales figures come out of the next few quarters sales figures for Ranger and Gladiator. Right now they're both being outsold by an ancient Nissan Frontier AFAIK.
 

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I honestly think Gladiator sales are only going to get better over time. It’s honestly a better truck vs. the Tacoma, Colorado, Ranger, and frontier in a lot of ways. (Tow capacity main one.) while also having a damn good ride, cheap parts, a bulletproof drivetrain, manual transmission, and an actually usable backseat(not as big a deal for Ranger/Colorado)
 

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I don't think you'll get a lot of Taco people switching to Jeep, but I could be wrong. It will be an interesting game to watch.
 

HTX1811

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Ranger Bronco edition??????

Or would it be the Bronco Ranger edition. I think a Bronco Ranger has legs. Lol.

I love this guessing game.
 

Tslater1989

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I know you are joking, but Ranger is one of the trim levels used on the first and second generation Broncos (as well as F-series trucks at the time). My '75 was a Ranger and had a "Ranger" badge on the glovebox door. People used to ask if I took the badge off a Ranger :facepalm:

Other trim levels from the first generation include "Sport" and "Explorer" as well.

Oh, and that is obviously a Tacoma Ford is using in the Patent, like the Samurai and Troller they used in other patents.
Yep. Pops had a 79 bronco ranger xlt.
 

JimmyDean

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I know you are joking, but Ranger is one of the trim levels used on the first and second generation Broncos (as well as F-series trucks at the time). My '75 was a Ranger and had a "Ranger" badge on the glovebox door. People used to ask if I took the badge off a Ranger :facepalm:

Other trim levels from the first generation include "Sport" and "Explorer" as well.

Oh, and that is obviously a Tacoma Ford is using in the Patent, like the Samurai and Troller they used in other patents.
Removeable hardtop Tacoma confirmed. Thanks,
 

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Stampede.Offroad

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...
Oh, and that is obviously a Tacoma Ford is using in the Patent, like the Samurai and Troller they used in other patents.
Some of the concept art is pretty terrible, but they always seem to use Ford owned designs.

I would guess that is some brainstorm concept for the Ranger, and when they needed a "truck" for the patent art they just grabbed whatever caught their fancy from the 'pile' of art that was 'lying around'.
 

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Ford certainly doesn't own the Suzuki Samurai design and this is certainly a Samurai:
Bronco-Patent-1-via-USPTO.jpg


tinp-20091011-1144-r3.jpg


This one has some definite resemblances to a 2014-2018 Chevy Silverado
ford-bronco_100696668_h.jpg

CHEVROLET-Silverado-1500-Regular-Cab-5130_2.jpg


2019+ Tacoma (Sorry couldn't find the same angle, but look at the cab and front end)
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2.jpg

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Couldn’t agree more almost everything on this website is a bunch BS and is fictional nonsense made up to keep us wondering and holding on to glimpse of hope that it will actually be built—I won’t believe any of it until I actually see it.
 

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Would love a Bronco truck, but I don't see why they'd do that considering how they're marketing the Ranger as the ultimate utility truck. Would be cool though...we'll see.
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