The 2021 Ford Bronco launch has been delayed by COVID-19, and many reservation holders are unfortunately going to have to wait until the 2022 model year to get the exact Bronco they want, as pandemic-affected suppliers rush to meet demand for the SUV’s various parts and accessories. But one decent consolation prize has been the steady amount of pre-production models spied plying America’s roadways; their presence serving as a sweet reminder that one day, these highly-anticipated off-roaders will be in the hands of all that want them.
Unfortunately, at least two of those models were recently heavily damaged by fire. A Bronco6GForum user uploaded photos of the carnage and the aftermath of the seemingly violent event, an episode that will most likely send the vehicles to the automotive afterlife.
Currently, it is unclear what caused both 2021 Ford Bronco pre-production models to suffer such extensive fire damage, but the photos suggest the trailer itself may have have been responsible for triggering the blaze. The original poster emphatically supports that theory, although there doesn’t appear to be any concrete evidence as to where the fire originated.
Either way, the pair apparently received quite the thrashing while sitting inside the trailer. This 2021 Ford Bronco two-door got the shortest end of the stick, as its grille melted into nothingness, along with a substantial portion of the driver’s side mirror. A quick glance between the front tires suggests its undercarriage also got exposed to some very high temperatures, likely damaging the powertrain. That’s to say nothing of the copious amounts of soot that settled all over the exterior.
A photo taken from another angle paints an even sadder picture for this flame-licked 2021 Ford Bronco. Clearly, the fire was intense enough to melt steel, as the front quarter panel warped after being exposed to the flames. It appears that some of the Rapid Red paint simply burned off too. Its counterpart escaped a similar fate, but both might be destined for the scrap heap. Hopefully Ford can use these models in a way that helps improve the examples destined for customers, as it would be nice to know that their deaths were not in vain.
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Comments
Fords and a fire. Who’d have thought it?
It seems like to me all Ford has going for it lately is the Bronco that is not showing up.
Those tires held up well!
Ford Quality job #1. Putting the fire out job #2.