Ford Bronco Hardtop Roof Tech Finalist For 2025 Pace Awards

After being tabbed with supplying molded-in color hardtops for the sixth-generation Ford Bronco years ago, Webasto struggled to do precisely that amid the onset of the pandemic. Making matters worse, quality issues with the MIC top sent Webasto back to the proverbial drawing board, and it wound up replacing defective early tops with a superior successor. Webasto has also invested millions as it works to expand Ford Bronco MIC top production – resulting in that part becoming available separately for the first time – and now, that same company is up for a prestigious award.

That honor is being named a finalist in the 2024 Automotive News PACE Awards, which are designed to recognize products considered to be technological innovations that have also reached commercial market maturity. Webasto is among the finalists for the 2024 Automotive News PACE Awards due to the fact that it’s the first manufacturer to use composite panels with paper cores for a removable roof system, which debuted with the Ford Bronco.

Officially known as Paper Honeycomb (PHC), these pieces form the core of the roof panel and have to be milled due to the curved shape of the top, after which they’re coated with a mixture of polyurethane and reinforced glass fibers. When compared to steel, PHC’s composition ensures a weight savings of around 50 percent, according to Webasto, all while remaining quite robust. The honeycomb structure also offers good thermal insulation properties and has a sound-insulating effect, to boot.

“The PHC roof systems bring a great end user experience. With a renowned American car manufacturer, we have successfully applied PHC technology for a light-weight removable roof system,” said Brad Ring, CEO and President Webasto Americas. “With the benefits for the end consumer, we see a huge market potential for further roof applications as well as for other special products that utilize this technology – potential customers have already expressed interest.”