CBJ — Ford Motor Company has decided it wants to create a direct competitor to the Jeep, which has the reputation for being the top off-road rugged vehicle in North America.

Jeep is manufactured by Fiat-Chrysler.

In an effort to take some of that market Ford has announced it’s bringing back the Bronco.

Ford plans to introduce two styles: the Ranger pickup-sized Bronco that will come in two- and four-door versions, and the smaller Escape-sized Bronco Sport.

While the Ford Bronco did enjoy many years of success in terms of sales and efficiency on the road, there also lingers a large negative connotation — specifically, it was a 1994 white Ford Bronco that OJ Simpson famously rode in after the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. The vehicle was owned and driven by Simpson’s close friend Al Cowlings.

Ford wants to avoid the OJ connection — but that will be easier said than done according to some economic experts.

Jeep sells about 1 million vehicles in North America each year, so the Ford Bronco is going to have some work to do in order to bump it off that perch or even make a dent for that matter.

@CanBizJournal