Manoli Katakis 
The official Ford Bronco reveal has been put on ice until further notice, but we’ll hopefully have all of the details available once the COVID-19 pandemic blows over. Even as we’re awaiting details on the new Bronco, here’s a fresh bit of information on the original Bronco.
According to Fox News Autos, the original 1966 model was almost called something that would make Jeep lovers stunned with disbelief. One of the front-runners was “Wrangler.” Yes. “Ford Wrangler.” At that time, the Jeep Wrangler name didn’t exist yet, and its predecessor at the time was called the Jeep CJ-5. Even so, Ford stuck with the Bronco name, which was the original alias for the program that started in 1963. The original idea was to have another horse in the stable, next to the Mustang, that would act as a “four-wheel-drive sports car.” The final say in the naming process at the time was Ford’s product planner Don Frey.
In the same report, it’s said that the original Ford Mustang came close to being called the “Cougar.” It was so close to fruition that Ford even mocked up a prototype with a logo featuring the big cat. The rest is history: Ford did end up choosing Mustang over Cougar. But the name and ethos resonated so well, that instead of scrapping it, they went on to make it a Mercury.
2021 Ford Bronco production is set to begin late this year, but with the unforeseen setback of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, it’s hard to know if that timeline will stay in place. Current leaks of the midsize body-on-frame SUV show that there will indeed be a two-door and a four-door Bronco. Both will be built at the Michigan Assembly plant, in Wayne, Michigan next to the Ford Ranger. A Bronco pickup truck is also rumored.
