In recent years, Ford has been cracking down on third-party companies that use its official model names on reproduction vehicles or restomods, which we saw just this past March, when The Blue Oval pulled the plug on Revology's ability to build licensed reproduction Ford Mustang rolling chassis. The reasoning behind that move stemmed from a policy change where Ford will only license products that comply with NHTSA regulations for new vehicles or are not sold for use on public roads. Now, Vintage Broncos is going so far as to change its name after a bit of a legal spat with the automaker.
As Ford Authority reported in November 2024, Vintage Broncos - which takes brand new Ford Bronco SUVs and makes them look like old ones - recently found itself on the receiving end of a formal complaint filed by Ford in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, calling those conversions "misleading" and stating that Vintage Broncos "unfairly profits from Ford and Bronco brand assets that we have spent decades building."
Now, Vintage Broncos has reached out to The Drive to inform them that it has opted to change its name to Vintage Modern, an update that has already taken place across the company's website and social media pages.
“Vintage Modern has no sponsorship, association, approval, or endorsement from any motor company including Ford Motor Company," the website reads. "The names Ford and Bronco are trademarks of Ford Motor Company, and any other trademarks mentioned belong to their respective owners. References to these trademarked names or marks are solely for identification purposes. Vintage Modern vehicles should never be referred to or described as a ‘Vintage Ford Bronco,’ ‘Ford Bronco,’ ‘Vintage Modern Ford Bronco,’ or ‘Ford Vintage Modern Bronco.’”
Regardless, Vintage Modern continues to make and sell brand new Ford Bronco SUVs designed to look like old ones, a pretty involved process that includes swapping out its body panels and even offering a variety of powertrain options - including the 5.0L V8 Coyote, which Ford does not offer from the factory, and even an all-electric version.
The cause of the blaze is related to mechanical failure.
Ford now offers a sectioning option for the rear frame rails.
It's one of just 75 built in total.
IIHS hasn't seen an uptick in accidents as a result.
There are reportedly national security concerns regarding some equipment.
Those vehicles emit higher emissions than previously thought.
