What's Old Is New Again: Ford Bronco, Ranger To Return By 2020

It's official: The Ford Bronco and Ford Ranger will be coming back to North America within the next couple of years.

Speaking at the North American International Auto Show In Detroit, Ford Motor Company F Executive Vice President Joe Hinrichs confirmed the Ranger will be back in 2019, with the Bronco to follow in 2020. Both vehicles will be produced instate at Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant.

USA Today described the moves as "a strategic bet on a surge of American nostalgia, hefty vehicles and low gasoline prices."

Rev Up For The Ranger

Hinrichs said the Ranger, a pickup truck, is the best-selling midsize SUV outside of North America.

“We’ve heard our customers loud and clear. They want a new generation of vehicles that are incredibly capable yet fun to drive,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of the Americas. “Ranger is for truck buyers who want an affordable, functional, rugged and maneuverable pickup that’s Built Ford Tough. Bronco will be a no-compromise midsize 4x4 utility for thrill seekers who want to venture way beyond the city.”

No other details were announced.

Bronco Bucks Back

The Ford Bronco was discontinued in 1996, shortly after the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Simpson's 1993 Bronco entered pop culture and mainstream media lore when he used it to allude Los Angeles police in a low-speed chase in 1994. A concept Bronco was introduced in 2004, but nothing came of it.

CEO Mark Fields and Chairman Bill Ford spoke briefly on the newest Ford F-150, although the majority of their presentation was focused on mobility and ride-sharing.