Sam Krahn 
Recently, MC&T sat down with the 2021 Ford Bronco chief designer, Paul Wraith. Getting to pick the brains of any car designer is always a treat, but it was especially interesting to hear Wraith’s take on the Bronco, as it’s been such a universally praised design.
Surprisingly, Wraith’s favorite part of the Bronco’s design doesn’t really have anything to do with the SUV itself. It’s the team that worked on the vehicle and their process, similar to how Ford Global Program Manager Jeff Seaman told us Bronco development was a culture change inside Ford.
“My favorite design element (of the Bronco) is a bit squishy,” said Wraith. “It’s the team, and how we’ve come together. What is most memorable about completing it is the sort of feeling you get with the team you work with.”
But given the Ford Bronco will be everywhere this time next year, Wraith had to keep some secrets to himself. In fact, his favorite small design detail isn’t even visible to the naked eye, and he isn’t telling anyone where it is.
“It’s hidden from sight. It puts a smile on my face and it’s hidden. We’ll leave it at that,” said Wraith. Sounds like there’s some easter eggs to hunt for.
A cumulation of years of hard work by Wraith and his team have resulted in what is primed to be a hugely successful off-road SUV, so we are bound to see them frequently once they hit dealerships next spring. He continued to describe what it will be like seeing such an important vehicle to both Ford and his design career out in the public:
“I’ve been staring at the vehicle every day for years,” he said. “When they’re out on the road you don’t see them like everyone else. You can’t help but stare at them like they’re still in the studio, like they’re still a sketch, like they’re still a CAD model. You just look at them differently. It’s the most bizarre thing.”
