For the second year in a row, Ford has supported Pride Month with a custom vehicle. This year, it’s a new Ford Bronco Wildtrak 2-door and it wears the same rainbow and glitter gold livery as last year’s “Very Gay Raptor” built in response to an internet troll. Is this the start of an annual tradition?
This year’s tribute to LGBTQ+ inclusion doesn’t have quite as provocative a name. It’s simply called the Ford Pride Bronco, but the color scheme is clearly a continuation of the Ranger Raptor from 2021. “Bronco is bold, proud and tough, and it’s built for everyone,” said Bill Peters, Ford Pride chair and integration product lead, in a statement at the truck’s introduction.
The Pride Bronco made its public debut at the Memphis Pride Parade over the weekend. Ford chose that location due to its proximity to Blue Oval City, a $5.6 million electric vehicle plant under development. It will go on to make appearance at upcoming Pride Month festivities around the country.
While many online comments have shown support for Ford’s efforts, there were also some detractors accusing the automaker of virtue signaling. However, the Pride Bronco in fact has its origins as a response to an online commenter, who Ford says wrote in a social media post about the then-new truck, “Well… that’s a cool car! -But that blue color is very Gay!! Hey Ford! Paint in BlackNGold or camo!”
In response, Ford created the rainbow Ranger Raptor, posting on social media, “‘Very Gay’ was a compliment, right?”
The Raptor, which debuted at Cologne, Germany’s St. Christopher’s Day Festival, was itself a reference to a one-off Ford Ka ute with a rainbow color scheme built for the 2008 St. Christopher’s Day Festival. The Raptor also marked Ford Europe’s 25th anniversary of LGBTQ+ advocacy.
The Pride Bronco will make its next stop at the Motor City Pride parade this coming weekend in Detroit.