Bronco Weekly #25

Dealer Trouble

We already know that the Ford Bronco is a very hot commodity right now and that some dealers are charging insane markups. Now, it looks like there's also another way that dealers are attempting to put maximum cash in their pockets.

Recently, there have been several reports of dealers charging markups to people who reserved and ordered cars with Ford at one price, only to have these future owners pick their cars up and be presented with the bill at a substantially higher figure.

The owners were, of course, very unpleasantly surprised, since they expected to pay the MSRP price and ending paying much more. It's dishonest and altogether wrong, as well as being totally misleading to customers who first stood  in the line and have followed Bronco's resurrection from the beginning.

Ford needs to do something about these dealers, and if you encounter this kind of behavior, you should report it immediately.

Six-Door Bronco, Anyone?

The two and four-door Bronco and four-door Bronco Sport are only the beginning of a large-scale Bronco revival, and you can expect that Ford is preparing more exciting variants to be introduced soon.

Besides the Warthog/Raptor -- the high-performance model -- and an upcoming EV Bronco, as well as a possible pickup version, there's still room for more. Some talented photoshop artists have already come up with of another version and have posted the result, which is actually very cool, on Instagram – a six-door, 4x4, Bronco van!

We're sure that this model could have the potential to attract a dedicated following -- it would be very practical as an off-road people carrier.  It's still just a rendering at this point, but who knows.

Bronco Off-Roadeo All Locations Are Now Open

Ford's Bronco Off-Roadeo is not your average camp. This is an interactive environment that will promote all kinds of Overlanding activities, teach Bronco owners new skills and offer epic travel adventures, such as whitewater rafting, mountain biking and stays at nearby resorts.

Attendees will meet like-minded enthusiasts, hang with fellow Bronco owners and fans and receive valuable driving lessons from experts like Vaughn Gittin Jr., King of the Hammers champion Loren Healy, and renowned off-road experiential manager Bob Burns. The program will start with a 90-minute lecture about technology and the vehicles' off-road driving systems, which will then be put to use on the trail.

The first Bronco Off-Roadeo was opened near Austin and was recently used for an official release event, but three more Bronco Off-Roadeo parks - in Mt. Potosi, Nevada; Moab, Utah; and the Northeast region of the United States are just now open for reservations as well. 

Bronco Hard Tops Are Problematic

Currently, the biggest production issue with the new Bronco isn't the chip shortage or COVID-19 influenced supply problems. It's Webasto's plastic Bronco hardtops, which are apparently very poorly built. Recently, just after the first of thenew Broncos were delivered, owners reported all kinds of issues with this component -- leaking, bending, discoloration, poor quality . . . you name it.

Ford did kill its contract with Webasto just a few days ago, but it will still need to work on these issues with the remaining roofs and invest a little more attention during future production. 

First Edition Bronco Is Selling For $150,000!?

The 2021 Bronco's top trim level is the First Edition, which carries a production cap that's been set at 7000 copies. As you'd expect, all have been spoken for, even though they come with a pretty hefty $57,000 to 61,000 MSRP.

However, if you're dying to get one and money is no issue, then head on over to eBay, where you can get a First Edition Bronco in Area 51 gray for a whopping $150,000! We know that dealer markups are already insane and that Broncos are reaching $100,000 asking prices, but $150k, which is almost three times the original price, is unheard of!