Mexican Media Brands
Ford Patents Convertible Pickup Design
Ford Motor Co. has received a U.S. patent for a removable truck roof that, the company says, can be installed or taken off by a single person.
Share
Ford has received a U.S. patent for a removable truck roof that, the company says, can be installed or taken off by a single person.
The design includes a self-aligning mounting system and a series of latches that attach the roof to a vehicle’s windshield header and body structure.
Illustrations included in the patent application show a Ranger-like pickup truck. The system could be used in a truck with a fixed rear window or a sliding unit, and/or a sunroof, according to the carmaker. It doesn’t appear that the detached roof could be stowed in the vehicle.
In addition to pickups, Ford says the design could work in an SUV, car or van. Media reports speculate that the removable roof could be used in the rumored pickup truck variant of Ford’s upcoming Bronco SUV.
The Ford models would compete against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s Jeep Wrangler SUV and new Jeep Gladiator midsize pickup. Those vehicles feature removable doors and roofs, but the pieces are difficult for one person to detach.