Ford Announces 2022 Heritage Edition: Is It to Make up For Bronco Delay?

One of the most hyped up vehicles of the new year is certainly the latest Ford Bronco. With delivery underway for the Sport version, production of the new Bronco was delayed until May 2021 as the automaker hit a snag caused by the global pandemic. However, it makes you wonder, is releasing this headline an attempt to remain in the spotlight after a bumpy re-introduction of the classic car?

If that’s the plan, you have to admit it’s brilliant. We’re all talking about the Bronco again, so it’s working, especially since it’s more than an SUV – it’s a brand, so they’ll take all the attention they can get. Although the documents are leaked, they confirm the 2022 lineup will gain a new trim level known as the Heritage Edition.

Still, it’s hard to determine the validity at this stage, but teases from enthusiast forums show that the Heritage trim will be offered with two and four-door versions in the year to come, and the two-door will be known as the E5G & and the four-door E5H, respectively. Since these codes appear in Ford’s internal system, it offers a bit more credibility.

Although we know something could be in the works, we’re unsure what to expect from the Heritage Edition model since details weren’t leaked.

The Bronco has come a long way and the automaker started developing the original model in the early 1960s for an August 1965 release, meaning there’s no special anniversary they can attribute to the Heritage Edition, which brings us back to our initial theory.

The Heritage Edition may only receive skin-deep upgrades, and Ford may decide to offer a variety of different colors that it offered in the ’60s. They could offer a chrome trim to the exterior to create a visual bond with the first generation and newest generation models. Could it also mean edition-specific badging and retro-styled wheels to complement the look? We’re just thinking out loud here.

To honor the heritage, we don’t necessarily need to jump in a time portal and transport to the ’60s. Ok, there might be worse things than that. However, the earliest examples of the last-generation Bronco released in 1991 and 1992 can almost boast classic plates in some states, but it’s a variant unlikely to be considered for a limited-edition model until it’s a little older. Stylists may consider trucks in the 70s or 80s for inspiration, but that’s to be determined.

It’s far too soon to be speculative. Again, it begs the question, leaked documents could translate to more hype, which could help what happened to Ford this year and their production woes. Either way, we’re not mad, and if production delays get us a specialized version of this classic beast, count us in.