EXCLUSIVE: INCOMING FORD CEO SPEAKS ON THE 2021 BRONCO

By: Jordan Parker

Bronco Nation spoke exclusively with incoming Ford CEO, Jim Farley, on Friday at the Michigan Assembly Plant where the first early, pre-production 2021 Ford Broncos have begun to roll off the assembly line.

As an avid collector of historic Ford vehicles and the owner of a Gen 1 Bronco himself, Farley has had an affinity for the iconic nameplate now in its sixth generation. When asked about his initial impression of the Rapid Red Wildtrak Bronco adjacent to us, he said “It’s a breakthrough product for Ford, we’re finally getting back to our roots, and I’m so proud of the team.” Farley went on to speak to the daily usability of the vehicle beyond its off-road prowess. “It’s really a terrific vehicle because it has all the off-road capability that almost no one else has but it has the daily use and thoughtfulness of an open-air experience without leaving everything in your garage that no one else can match. It’s a breakthrough product.” Years of work have gone into this new Bronco with many iterations, design changes, hurdles, and victories. When we asked the incoming CEO what attribute or feature he is most proud of on Bronco, he said, “For me, some people love the design, of course, but for me it’s the off-road equipment. real capability. We have better approach and departure angles, you know that’s what I love most about the vehicle, its capability, it’s not a show horse.” That is certainly a statement that rings true though the rigorous durability testing we have witnessed from Johnson Valley to Moab; this vehicle is an off-road monster. With the recent news regarding Bronco paint colors, we’d be remiss if we didn’t ask Farley what color he plans to order. While he hasn’t decided a specific color quite yet, he did say, “It’s gotta be blue”. We certainly can see why he’s a fan of blue. The Ford veteran started his tenure at Ford back in November of 2007 after leaving Toyota and has since served in many capacities both in the U.S. and abroad, most recently as Chief Operating Officer. Farley will assume his new role as Chief Executive Officer of the Blue Oval on October 1^st, entering at a critical and exciting time for the auto manufacturer. We look forward to speaking with Mr. Farley again soon as we move one week closer to the Bronco hitting dealer lots across America.