Ford patents removable doors for Bronco
New patents reveal clever two-piece doors for those who prefer added protection when alfresco drivingFord has been caught patenting novel removable doors that are destined to be offered on the born-again Ford Bronco.
Unearthed by
, the new patents reveal the removable doors will feature integrated tubular impact beams that can be removed from the inside of the doors.The thinking is the impact beams can then be reinstalled on the SUV once the doors have been removed to provide a level of crash protection when driving doorless on the road.
According to the patent, the Bronco can still be driven in alfresco mode if the driver requires.
Ensuring the next-generation Bronco can go doorless, engineers have been careful to mount the side mirrors on the A-pillars, so they remain in place once the doors come off.
Based on the same Australian-engineered T6 ladder frame that underpins the Ford Everest, the new Ford Bronco will be launched in late 2020; just months after an all-new ‘Baby Bronco’ based on the same new rear/all-wheel drive platform that underpins the next Escape and Explorer.
The four new Ford SUVs, which could also be preceded by a new-generation F-150 pick-up as soon as early next year, will be followed by an all-new Bronco-branded ute based on a small car platform, bringing the number of models in the Bronco family to three.
However, none of these five new Ford models have been confirmed as global models produced in left- and right-hand drive, and indeed Ford has already stated it has no plans to sell the Bronco in Australia.
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