Ford Bronco Accessories Are Printing Money For Dealers

Sep. 11, 2022 4:43 PM ET by Chase Bierenkoven Off-Road / 1 Comment

One dealer has "Bronco fever."

When the Ford Bronco debuted, the Blue Oval raised a stink about all of the crazy factory-backed accessories the new off-roader was going to come with. There would be GoPro mounts, lights, and just about anything else you could imagine on offer.

Of course, the whole "Bronco thing" happened almost immediately after. There were massive issues with the car, ranging from faulty roofs to shockingly greedy markups. Now, nature has healed a bit, and Ford says that more Bronco owners than ever are spending more money than ever on accessorizing their Broncos.

Ford's retailers have sold more than a million factory accessories for both the Bronco and Bronco Sport. Of course, dealers are making some good money on these accessories as well. Automotive News spoke to one, Steve Olliges, who said he can't remember a better opportunity for Ford dealers to rake in some extra cash on the Bronco.

Olliges is serious. He says he's going to open a 9,000 sqf. "Bronco Barn" to help capitalize on the car's popularity. It'll cost around $10 million to build, and will sit about a mile from Olliges' Team Ford dealership. It'll be focused largely on selling Bronco accessories.

"I definitely have Bronco fever, I feel I could make a living just being a Bronco dealership; it's that successful," he said. Ford execs have said that the Bronco is Ford's most heavily customized product. On average, customers will drop around $1,700 on accessories when they order their Broncos. As for the Bronco Sport, customers spend a little less, around $800, on some of the more than 240 available items. Predictably, the most popular options are the most involved to install (and the most pricey). That includes off-road winches and modular bumpers. Lights are another popular option.

"It's core to the success of Bronco," Mark Grueber, Ford's U.S. consumer marketing manager, said to Automotive News. "For dealers, it's a great opportunity not only from a profit standpoint but also long-term engagement with customers. It's a great proof point of what Ford can do and how big this opportunity is going forward."

What is now an incredibly successful program is actually rooted in failure. Ford tried this circa 2018 with the Ranger pickup. But Ford's systems weren't ready, and the program died after a lack of options and inventory. For the Bronco, Ford came prepared. Now, it's being handsomely rewarded, and so are its dealers.