Ford dealers building standalone Bronco stores given free reign

Ford’s born-again Bronco is so popular that about 100 dealers nationwide are planning to build a space dedicated to the off-roader. It’s not a requirement, but those that do are largely free to design and arrange it how they see fit.

“That was something that the dealers asked for because they saw the potential for it, so we developed a program for it,” explained Mark Grueber, the head of the Bronco brand, in an interview with Ford Authority. “We offer a whole range of what they can do, everything that we call a pylon to the parts wall for accessories and the display for the Bronco.” He noted some dealers are converting existing facilities (like used cars buildings) into Bronco stores.

His comments suggest the Bronco store in, say, Los Angeles won’t look exactly like the one in Denver or the one in Boston. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, because each market is different and not all dealers have the same budget to play with. Of course, it’s reasonable to assume that every Bronco space will have an outdoorsy vibe.

There are nonetheless some guidelines set by the Blue Oval. Ford Authority learned dealers who have unfulfilled commitments or facilities deemed substandard are not eligible to participate in the program. The location of a standalone Bronco showroom must be approved by Ford, and dealers can only use it to sell cars that are part of the Bronco range, which is currently limited to the full-size model and the smaller Bronco Sport crossover. In the coming years, the line-up could grow with the addition of a performance-oriented model and an adventure-ready pickup.

Ford is rewarding dealers who invest in a separate Bronco showroom by allocating more SUVs to their store. He added that the extra inventory won’t justify the investment required to build a new showroom, but he expects the move will pay off in the long run because motorists will see stores with a Bronco space as the place to buy an SUV.

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