Ford to bring back Bronco SUV, Ranger pickup

SAN FRANCISCO - A blast from the past: Ford is reintroducing the Bronco and the Ranger.

The Bronco is a truck-style 4x4 sport utility vehicle that was discontinued 20 years ago. It's best known as the vehicle O.J. Simpson drove in an infamous 1994 police chase after he failed to appear for arrest in connection with the slayings of his ex-wife and her friend.

The Ranger is a midsized pickup truck. Ford stopped making and selling it in North America in 2011, although it's still sold in other parts of the world.

Their return is motivated by increasing public demand for SUVs and trucks. The success of the similar-sized Colorado pickup from Chevy and the Canyon from GMC prompted a reassessment at Ford.

The Bronco and Ranger are to be manufactured at Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich. The Ranger is to go on the market in 2019, the Bronco in 2020.

The news was announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, which opened Monday. 'Ranger is for truck buyers who want an affordable, functional, rugged and maneuverable pickup,” Joe Hinrichs, Ford's president of the Americas, said in a statement. 'Bronco will be a no-compromise mid-size 4x4 utility for thrill seekers who want to venture way beyond the city.”