In 1980, Ford created this Bubble-Door Bronco concept.

      Ford

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      Concept cars used to be purely imaginative, but nowadays, they often serve as the preliminary step in marketing new production models. In earlier decades, however, automakers appeared more open to experimenting with various ideas, regardless of their viability on the road. For instance, consider when Ford incorporated every 1980s design feature it could think of into the Bronco.

      Debuting in the early years of that decade, the Bronco Montana Lobo concept sought to provide a futuristic appearance for Ford's off-road vehicle. That envisioned future never came to fruition; following its public introduction, the Montana Lobo was largely overlooked by Ford until the company recently highlighted it on Instagram.

      According to the initial press release (available in the impressive Ford Heritage Vault), the Montana Lobo is built on a “pre-1977” Bronco chassis, which indicates it is based on the first generation. Ford introduced the second-generation Bronco for the 1978 model year and had just rolled out the third generation when the Montana Lobo appeared as part of Ford’s showcases for the upcoming 1981 auto show circuit, a time when auto shows still held significance.

      “The Lobo signifies more than just a show vehicle,” remarked William H. Cramer, the manager of Ford’s Advanced and International Design Center, which collaborated with the Italian design firm Ghia to create the concept. “It’s a compilation of ideas and designs that could be utilized in future Ford four-wheel vehicles.”

      Among those ideas and designs were removable plexiglass bubble doors that could be swapped for webbing, T-tops, built-in storage compartments along the sides of its mini-pickup bed, and side exhausts seamlessly integrated with the running boards. A roll bar equipped with lights and a whip antenna was a standard feature on any 1980s off-roader, while a winch integrated into the front bumper is an essential addition, regardless of the era.

      Inside, the dashboard design was borrowed from the 1980 Ford Thunderbird, including a digital instrument cluster that was innovative for its time. The black vinyl seats were also notable, offering heating and ventilation—features that are commonplace today but were rare in the early 1980s. The bed included fold-down seats and was lined with woven hemp, while the tailgate functioned as a ramp for easy loading and unloading.

      The Montana Lobo was powered by a 5.0-liter V8 paired with an automatic transmission and four-wheel drive, catering to all-terrain tires mounted on 15-inch wheels. Measuring 188.9 inches in length, 75.4 inches in width, and 77.4 inches in height, the Montana Lobo was longer and taller than a standard two-door Bronco available today but considerably narrower. Its 107.3-inch wheelbase was also about seven inches longer than that of a current two-door Bronco.

      Ford never equipped the production Bronco with plexiglass bubble doors or a hemp-lined pickup bed, making the Montana Lobo concept particularly intriguing. The collaboration between the Blue Oval automaker and Ghia is primarily linked to road cars like the Probe series, so it's exciting to see that same innovative design used on a Bronco. Given the current Bronco's strong emphasis on heritage, it’s unlikely that Ford will attempt another futuristic version anytime soon.