2021 Ford Bronco debut postponed to July 13 due to OJ Simpson tie-in
The original July 9 reveal date also happens to be O.J.'s birthday. Awkward!
Less than a week after Ford announced the 2021 Bronco's official debut date, the big reveal has been postponed yet again. Instead of taking place on Thursday, July 9, the Bronco will now greet the world on Monday, June 13, the company confirmed via Twitter on Friday.
The reveal of the all-new Bronco lineup will now happen on Monday, July 13. This is instead of July 9. We are sensitive and respectful to some concerns raised previously about the date, which was purely coincidental.
— Ford Motor Company (@Ford) June 19, 2020
"The previous targeted date of July 9 unintentionally coincided with O.J. Simpson's birthday," Ford's VP of communications, Mark Truby, tweeted on Friday. "We wanted to be sensitive and respectful of this concern."
The former NFL superstar's name is practically synonymous with Ford's SUV, thanks to the history-making slow-speed police chase through Los Angeles on June 17, 1994, in which Simpson was driving a white 1993 Bronco. The high-profile chase followed the death of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.
Two versions of the 2021 Ford Bronco will debut on July 13. In addition to the standard, body-on-frame SUV, we'll also see the Bronco Sport, which is expected to share a unibody construction with other Ford vehicles.
Despite the July 13 debut date, a report earlier this week suggests Ford will open the order books for the 2021 Bronco Sport on July 1. Orders for the big-boy Bronco, meanwhile, aren't expected to start until December.
Check back on Monday, July 13 for the full scoop on the 2021 Ford Bronco.
