The first stop on the Ford adventure I went on last week was not to drive a custom car, but to traipse into a field to look at a bunch of factory-customized Broncos. This all seemed normal to me. Being a car journalist means getting dragged from one place to another like a toddler on a leash.
“I don’t know if any of you noticed the pink blooms as you were walking down, I planted all of those last night just for you,” joked senior designer Bhavna Mistry as we stood in the verdant grass of southern Michigan.
Behind her was a bright Oxford White four-door Bronco with streaks of pink, magenta, and another, lighter pink. I generally love a pink vehicle, and the contrast between the implied toughness of a Bronco with the historical perception of pink really worked for me.
This is the first in the Horizon Series from Ford’s Custom Garage, which will be an annual drop (think of a colorway on a Nike Air Force 1) limited to 1,000 units.
“The Horizon Series is all about the color story, it is inspired by different parts of the world,” says Mistry. “Every story starts with a place and this one starts with Utah. The color palette is inspired by the rare natural phenomena that happens.”
Based on the Outer Banks four-door Bronco, the light pink grille is your first clue that this is a bit more than just a sticker package. It stands out quite well against the white, and it’s curious to me that this is also available in Shadow Black, Avalanche Gray, and Ruby Red. Actually, this might look good in Red.
The Method wheels were developed with a little of that berry color on the center cap, which is a nice touch.
The graphics on the side are “optional” if you don’t want to commit to the full treatment. That is wild to me. It’s a little 1970s in the best way, and optioning one of these without them feels incomplete. If you’re ordering one, please order it with the full stickers.
“The graphics on the body side are a suggestive, abstract interpretation of the landscapes that inspired us and carry the same energy as those magical moments we chased,” said Mistry.
All of this doesn’t diverge much from the regular Outer Banks, mechanically, so why even bother? There are two details that make this a special Bronco. The first is that there’s a little serialized console badge, so you know you’ve got the 874th (or whatever) of these built. That’s important to some.
To me, the Katkzkin leather seats in that bright berry color are what stand out to me. I don’t think everyone could pull this off, nor do I think many other automakers would attempt such a bold color. Too many interiors are just a collection of gray, medium gray, and dark gray tones.
You can order a Desert Rising Bronco starting today, though expect to pay $13,695 on top of the price of an Outer Banks, which is $48,190 before fees, so probably closer to $64,000.
I’m sure they’re already out looking for the next location for a Horizon Series, so I’d love to hear which location you think they should use as inspiration. If they don’t want to travel too far, Bear Lake on the Idaho/Utah border has this almost Caribbean blue water I have never forgotten.
Top photo: Ford
First, I love the colors so much (but not the price).
Second, I have made this comment/complaint before and will continue to do so until I get an answer! Why does it seem you’re the only one to get articles that let you enlarge the pictures by clicking on them? Why isn’t that the default for everyone? I have to open them in a separate tab usually. What is this, the middle ages??
Colors: good!
Package price: a bit steep.
I’m reminded of the all-blue/yellow/red gm car (Pontiac?) article recently that showcased this exact kind of thing. We should celebrate and embrace it, even if it’s not necessarily our own cup of tea. Better than the monotonous sea of grays, whites, and blacks.
What with the mortgage on their Malibu house, I’m not sure Barbara and Kenneth can afford this.