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Jim Farley went on a three-day road trip from Moab to the Valley of the Gods in southern Utah. He spoke with customers who regularly use their Broncos off-road to learn not only what the Bronco does well but also what could be improved.
In the video below, he shares his thoughts on the trip and why Gemba is so important to Ford's mission:
A couple weeks ago, I spent three days driving off-road in a Bronco through some of America’s most remote and beautiful country, from Moab across southeast Utah. The trip took us down rocky trails, up forested mountains, and along dry valleys until our tires were red with desert dust. I also brought my daughter, Lilly, which made the trip extra special.
I do these road trips every year to experience how customers use our vehicles. It’s an important part of the Japanese “Gemba” philosophy I embraced early in my career. Go out, talk to people, and listen. You can’t design the right vehicles for your customers from behind a desk.
After returning home – covered in dirt, with a head full of ideas – I want to share four of my biggest takeaways from this fantastic journey.
Lilly and I kicked off our trip at the Bronco Off-Roadeo in Moab, where Bronco owners learn what their vehicles can really do. We now have locations in Utah, Nevada, New Hampshire, Tennessee, and Texas. I’m so impressed by how our team makes even the most technical off-roading feel approachable. In Moab, instructor Mandy Walden showed us around our vehicle, and I learned a lot from her. We’re already brainstorming how to make the Off-Roadeo experience even better and help owners get the confidence to go out and explore.
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I met Grand County Sheriff Jamison Wiggins, whose search-and-rescue team operates in extreme heat and on brutal terrain. For them, a Bronco isn't for weekend fun; it's a critical piece of gear. Seeing their need for additional space and learning about their work gave me a new understanding of what first responders and others in the Essential Economy need in their vehicles. I brought home a number of ideas about how Bronco can fit more into Ford’s effort to help Essential Economy workers increase productivity and open new opportunities in places other work vehicles struggle.
Off-road driving can be intimidating. But it gets a lot easier when capability and tech work together. I used the Bronco’s front and rear locking differentials, G.O.A.T. modes, and sway-bar disconnect constantly. There were so many times I was driving up to a ledge or over a crest and couldn’t see what was in front of me. The Bronco’s front camera showed me exactly where to place the front wheels. That view is real-time confidence for a driver exploring new terrain.
Customers also shared that they want more power options, not just for the vehicle, but to run their gear at campsites and on jobsites. This trip helped me think hard about what to offer in the U.S. and globally as we balance capability, range, and affordability. I’m so moved by what our Bronco team has accomplished, and I can’t wait for customers to see what we do next!
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Bronco is still the only production 4x4 to win the Baja 1000. We’ve built the Bronco DR and Bronco Raptor for the roughest endurance races. What we learn at speed and at the limit makes its way back to customers in a better Ford.
I drove with Loren Healy, king of King of the Hammers, who taught me a few driving tricks for tricky terrain. Later I rode with NASCAR’s Frankie Muniz to get his thoughts on the differences between the track and the trail. I also met up with Darin Spreadbury, Ford’s race mechanic for our off-road teams who uses Bronco as the support vehicle. He showed me how he maximizes its space to fit the tools he needs to keep our Broncos racing in the world’s toughest conditions.
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Something Lilly and I will cherish forever was getting to meet Navajo Elder Don Mose and hearing him share the incredible history of his people. We were hours into the wilderness seeing ancient ruins and petroglyphs, Lilly and I got to hear Don explain their meaning. I’ve heard people call their Broncos “memory-making machines.” Sixty years after its introduction, Bronco’s still helping make memories for customers around the world.
I came home with a notebook full of ideas to share with our Bronco team. There’s no substitute for getting in the driver’s seat, talking to customers and learning what they need. At the end of the day, my biggest takeaway of all: if you want true off-road freedom, nothing beats Bronco. And you can’t buy it with dusty-red tires – you have to earn them.
Jim's Bronco is currently on display in the lobby of the World Headquarters building, where you can learn more.
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