Yesterday, we looked back at the Bronco modular hardtop design, a feature we knew was coming in Oxford White for the 23MY Heritage and Limited editions.
We were excited to see the Oxford White version when it was revealed, because the Shadow Black (and body-colored) mod top has had a rough journey.
- Announced on Day 1 on July 13, 2020
- Announced as 21MY late availability by January 2021 (late summer ‘21 at earliest)
- Announced as moving to 22MY on March 25, 2021. Dual tops also took a hit at this point and were pushed back to ’22 as well.
- Announced as being pushed back to 23MY on June 25, 2021
The tops troubles extended past these delays.
With the June pushback of the mod top, Ford confirmed the Hard Top Prep Kit was coming, to help alleviate the strain on the sole hard top left ––the MIC –– through 2023. Then in August 2021, the MIC delamination issue was addressed, and in October 2021, order banks opened for 22MY.
As expected, there was no inclusion of the mod top. Customers who wanted one had set their orders to a 99-Priority code with their dealers, and Broncos were being produced and delivered with soft tops and the MIC hard top.
Recent Developments
Last month, when the Heritage and Limited editions were revealed, mod top fever set in again. For months, customers had been seeing snippets and spy shots of the Shadow Black Modular Hard Top. Would we be seeing it alongside the Oxford White mod top as an option when the order banks opened for 2023? Leaked screenshots showed it had potential as a 23MY late availability
Sadly for those interested, between those rumors and the 23MY order guide dropping on Monday, the Shadow Black mod top has disappeared. Even still, some in the community were hopeful they would see it in the spring.
The Official Word - Not Even Late Availability
However, today, Ford has confirmed that this option, slated to arrive in 2023, will not be available within the 2023 year at all. Body-color Modular Hard Tops are not coming in 2023 either.
What’s Next?
Since the beginning, Ford has been supplying and extending price protection and FordPass points to qualifying customers to soften the blows of delays. Unfamiliar? Read about the December 2020 gesture as well as March 2021 $1,000 value addition.
With this official confirmation of the Shadow Black mod top no longer being available in 2023, we will have to wait to see what the next move is for people who want this top. The MYCO process requires customers to update/confirm orders or convert reservations to a clean build by Nov. 21, or they will be canceled and deposits refunded.
Stay tuned for more news, and read the Ford FAQs in the meantime.
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