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Spartan

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How Ford designers screwed the Bronco in the best possible way
The 2021 Ford Bronco's chief designer says his favorite thing about the SUV is a humble piece of hardware.

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Every time you see a Ford Bronco-branded bolt on this SUV, like on this grab handle, it's a call to action.
Nick Miotke/Roadshow

One of the most impressive things about the new 2021 Ford Bronco is how thoughtfully the Blue Oval's designers and engineers seem to have been about considering the way the model's typical customers will want to personalize and reconfigure their vehicles. During a Friday conversation with Paul Wraith, Bronco chief designer, ahead of the Bronco's reveal, I asked him what his favorite feature of the new truck was, and he gave an unexpectedly simple response: a bolt.

More precisely, a custom-designed Torx-head screw that's been strategically deployed around the vehicle, inside and out. "I think we can all take a great deal of pride, actually, in a bolt," he said. "We have these little Bronco bolts and they're fitted all over the interior and the exterior. And each one has got 'Bronco' bashed into the head of it."

It's a simple surprise-and-delight detail, but not a merely ornamental one. Wherever you find one of these special screws, it's a subtle call to action. According to Wraith, "Each one of these little Bronco bolts is an invitation to do something with the vehicle. This is a little bit of a giveaway. Where they exist, we've set the vehicle up to have things attached to it. Whether they're lights, or racks or mounts for all sorts of things.... we have those on the grab handles, on the instrument panel, and on the console, as well. It's an invitation to add things, take things off, play, invent, create things."

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Paul Wraith, Bronco chief designer, has a surprisingly simple thing he's most proud of on Ford's new SUV.
Ford

This little mechanical detail actually required a surprising amount of effort to execute, the nearly 20-year Blue Oval veteran noted. "We spent a lot of time dealing with people who are not used to designers being concerned about the appearance of bolts and the accuracy of the fonts that are knocked into the heads of them, which was fun in itself," said Wraith.

In an earlier part of our interview, while conversing about a different subject, Wraith said, "We don't want people to be intimidated about doing the things they hope to do with the vehicle because it's complicated." A simple screw head that flags itself as a point of interaction and personalization would certainly seems to fit that mold, too.

"I love the bolt," he said.

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ford-bronco-design-screw-bolt-paul-wraith/
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GreenMachine

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Such a cool design and detail, hope they'll have extras in the parts department you can order to make sure they're always looking fresh.
 

Paint

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Also...I was right about that handle. Just sayin...

Revisiting this a bit...

That grab handle looks to be easily removed and replaced with other things. Like a mount for a tablet or CB.

I wonder if there are some modular Ford accessories in the works for this spot.
 

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MaverickMan

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I swear I said a few weeks ago they were gonna do this. I think I actually said they were gonna stamp a lil bronco horse on the other end of the bolt.

But I called it, I win internets?
 
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eBronco

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All the FCA fanbois need to understand that the Willys MB and the Ford GPW, were both formally called the U.S. Army Truck, 1⁄4-ton, 4×4, Command Reconnaissance, commonly known as Jeep. Ford has a rich history of producing off road vehicles and were producing them long before FCA was ever a twinkle in anyone's eye; they produced Jeeps before FCA!

I say Bravo to the designers of the new Bronco because they continue to carry the torch first lit by Henry Ford. What a proud tradition to carry on.

Congratulation Bronco design team!
 

D190065

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Hopefully they include the Torx bit in the glove box like they do with wheel locks. Or just provide the size.
 

LemonShark

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I like these little details, but mostly I saw this as a bit of a gimmick. Cool but not a big deal . . . then I read this article.

The idea that these specific Bronco stamped bolts are a visual clue to differentiate the bolts meant to be taken off is BRILLIANT. It's not just cool, it's not just fun to know all the nerdy details, this is BRILLIANT design, because it's pretty but also serves a clear and useful purpose.

Good stuff.
 

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Funkdoobiest

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It would make a good T-Shirt.
 

LonestarBronco

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I had a crazy idea about these "interchangeable parts"

I can already imaging the aftermarket producing 100+ different handles in a variety of styles/colors/materials.

What is owners started swapping parts at meets and roundups? It would be similar to how Disney has pins that everyone wears at the parks.

Or you could even have parts made that would identify a group you're a member of. For example the nameplate on the center console that says "Bronco, Engineered/Designed in Dearborn" could be swapped for one that says "Bronco6G Pizza Club" or "Bronco Club of XYZ"

It would be an easy and clean way to make your Bronco even more personal to you.
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