Ford Bronco Returns To The Wild In 2020; Inevitable O.J. Jokes Follow

The Ford Motor Company F Bronco — the groundbreaking SUV first produced from 1966 to 1996, and most famously used to convey O.J. Simpson — hits the streets again in 2020, the automaker announced Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The Bronco returns alongside the Ranger pickup, another classic nameplate. The Dearborn automaker is taking a bullish approach with its truck and SUV product line based on low gas prices and nostalgic customers with an appetite for larger vehicles, according to the Detroit Free Press.

O.J. jokes aside, the Twitter reaction to the Bronco’s return has been largely positive, with auto blog Jalopnik pointing out that the new iteration of the SUV comes with a tougher body-on-frame construction suited for real off-roading.

“The new Ford Bronco is goals,” tweeted @Johnny_Boy2015.

@ctalford9 tweeted: “Goal in life: To have enough money to buy the new @Ford Bronco when it comes out.”

“Can I preorder?” said @LawyerGina.

The inevitable O.J. comments are flowing as well after Monday’s announcement. “Deja vu all over again. Ford Bronco and Ranger,” @detroit1051 tweeted. “Hope Bronco has a special O.J. edition.”

Free Press Executive Editor Robert Huschka tweeted a reference to the notorious, televised low-speed pursuit of O.J. Simpson in Los Angeles in 1994, as the former NFL running back and murder suspect rode in a white Bronco.

“The chase was one of my 1st nights in a professional newsroom,” Huschka said.

Simpson is eligible for parole later this year, according to the Huffington Post.

@SleepnAtTheTop tweeted: “#fordbronco was trending I thought O.J. escaped prison.”

Both the Bronco and Ranger will be manufactured at Ford’s Wayne, Michigan, assembly plant, a commitment to American production that comes at a time when automakers have been criticized by President-elect Donald Trump for outsourced manufacturing jobs.

Image Credit: Auto Blog, via Twitter