Ford patent shows pickup with removable top to battle Jeep Gladiator

The Jeep Gladiator is the only new car positioned at the unlikely intersection of pickup trucks and convertibles. Recent patent filings suggest rival Ford is developing a system that will give the next-generation Ranger — or a similar truck — Gladiator-like unlimited headroom.

The Gladiator owes its removable top to its Wrangler roots. Similarly, the Ranger could share components with the long-awaited born-again Bronco we expect to see in the metal in the coming months. The patent images uncovered by enthusiast website Ford Authority depict a four-door pickup with a two-piece hard top. The first piece is the roof panel; it latches onto the windshield frame. The second piece encompasses the truck's rear window, and it hooks to the cab's rear panel.

There's no word on what the panels are made of, hopefully a relatively light material, but the application details the use of self-aligning mounts that facilitate the task of installing the roof without a helper. The patent images illustrate two variants of the top; one with a sliding rear window, and one without.

While the sketches show a current-generation Ranger, we're inclined to speculate the option of a removable top won't appear until the next-generation model arrives. The current truck may be relatively new in the United States, but it has been on sale in many overseas markets since 2011. If it was designed with a removable top in mind, we'd most likely have seen it already. Alternatively, the Blue Oval might offer the top on the double-cab, Bronco-based pickup it's rumored to be working on.

Ford hasn't commented on the patent application, and it hasn't shed light on the next-generation Ranger yet. We'll need to be patient to find out whether the sketches preview a feature we'll see in showrooms in the coming years, or if they show yet another styling exercise with no future.