A Ford Bronco store could be coming to a dealer near you…
You know you’ve hit a home run as an automaker when one of your vehicles is so popular that it gets its own store. And that’s exactly what’s happened with the new Ford Bronco.
Through June of this year, over 60,000 Bronco Sports were delivered. Average turnaround time is just 15 days. That’s pretty quick.
So, it makes sense for Ford to unveil a dedicated Bronco store.
These new Ford Bronco stores will be bespoke to each dealership that signs up for one. So, at the moment, about 100 dealers are ready to build a Bronco store, and each one of them can be as different as they like, within certain guidelines from Ford, of course.
In some instances Bronco stores will be standalone buildings. In others, they will be a dedicated space inside an existing dealership.
At the moment, the Bronco lineup is limited to the full-size version and the smaller Bronco Sport. But Ford has other models in the works, and could include a truck version and a performance version. Think of it like Jeep’s Wrangler and Rubicon lineup with various iterations that expand the product line.
Speaking of Jeep, the new Ford Bronco seems to be pulling some of Jeep’s customers away. According to Ford, the number one source of sales for the Bronco Sport is coming from Jeep.
So, the advantage of having a dedicated Bronco store is that it gives dealers a space to woo Jeep enthusiasts over to the Blue Oval. It also offers the advantage of having space for the expanded lineup in the future.
Likewise, dealers that develop a Bronco store will get more of the popular SUVs than other stores. When a model is as popular as this, having as many of them on the lot as possible is nothing but good news.
It’s not all good news for the Bronco, though…
There have been reports of quality control issues, many of which have to do with the roof. The hardtop, for example, has seen some issues with honeycombing or snakeskin-like patterns and the headliner separating from the roof. The soft-top version has shown too much play in the mechanism for moving the roof, which can then hit the roll bar and cause paint to chip off the roll bar.
These and other quality control issues (i.e., whistling noises when driving more than 30mph) are on Ford’s radar and they are working to fix them. Recent images have shown hundreds of Broncos in parking lots near Ford’s Michigan factory waiting to be quality checked before they hit dealers, so apparently Ford is stepping up its quality control game.
Despite a few issues, the success of the reborn Bronco is undeniable. They are flying off lots, and even with new Ford Bronco stores coming, I’m not sure Ford will be able to keep those stores stocked with vehicles – they are just too popular right now.
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