Test drive: 2021 Ford Bronco
The 2021 Ford Bronco is the first model to wear the name in 25 years. Fox News Autos Editor Gary Gastelu travelled to Texas hill country to find out if it lives up to it.
During the development of the new Bronco, Ford filed trademark requests for the model names Bronco Scout and Scout in 2019, suggesting it might try to tap into the spirit of the legendary International Harvester SUV.
Both applications were declared dead later in the year, however, and the Bronco has created its own identity with models like the Badlands, Wildtrak and upcoming Raptor.
Turns out that the rights to the Scout name for vehicles wasn't exactly up for grabs, anyway. It was owned by Navistar International, which inherited it when it was created from the ashes of International Harvester in 1986.
That was until Navistar itself was acquired this summer by Volkswagen Group's Traton heavy truck division, which means the Scout name now belongs to VW as it begins its transition to becoming an all-electric automaker.
According to Motor Trend, Volkswagen Group of America Chief Operating Officer Johan De Nysschen raised this point at a recent media event and suggested the Scout name could appear on a future electric SUV along the lines of the upcoming $70,000 Rivian R1S, but "at a $40,000 price point."
The magazine then went on to speculate what platform it would use and whether or not it would be a VW Scout or if the Scout name could be used to start a standalone electric off-road brand.
Unfortunately, it's all just guesswork at this stage as De Nysschen followed up to say that while existing nameplates like the Atlas SUV and Amarok pickup sold outside the U.S. would eventually be electrified, "to connect this pragmatically realistic perspective of the future, with the notion of launching a new product line under the Scout nameplate, is truly speculative and at this time, not reflective any plans, real or imagined."
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VW is sitting on a couple of its own heritage off-road models it may want to resurrect first, however. It's already showed the Meyers Manx-inspired I.D. Buggy concept and the Thing could be a thing again one day.