It is amazing how much speculation can be pinned to one seemingly innocent quote. Thanks to Auto Blog for making the catch, rumors of the Bronco’s return have once again resurfaced, this time with perhaps a bit more meat on the bone than before. So how did we get here once again?
Odd as it sounds, this latest bomb-drop comes on the heels of a tit-for-tat exchange between United Auto Workers chairman Bill Johnson and of all people––Donald Trump. Pressed by continued assertions that automotive jobs are being moved to Mexico, Johnson was quoted as saying to the Detroit Free Press:
“We hate to see the products go to Mexico, but with the Ranger and the Bronco coming to Michigan Assembly that absolutely secures the future for our people a lot more than the Focus does.”
And with that one quote, the rumor mill has been redlined. It could be a slip of the tongue and completely unfounded, but there are enough signs to suggest this is the natural progression for Ford’s Michigan-based assembly plant. It has been confirmed that the Ford Focus currently built in that facility is moving to Mexico, but the Ford Ranger, likely in it’s global format, will be made in Wayne, Michigan. Adding the Bronco to that lineup doesn’t seem like much of a stretch, but what the eventual product will look like is anyone’s guess at this point.
Wouldn’t it be great if it arrived in all its original off-road glory at the same time we get the new Wrangler and Defender.
