Ford hosted hundreds of employees and guests at multiple events around the Detroit Auto Show this week where new products were revealed, like the Mustang Dark Horse SC seen here, and plenty of other big news was made.
It was a busy week of reveals and announcements for Ford. A new Bronco and new Mustang took center stage at the Detroit Auto Show, and Ford Racing marked its return to the pinnacle of motorsports, Formula 1 racing.
The fun began Tuesday, as Ford welcomed hundreds of employees, dealers, media and others to an off-road themed auto show preview event at Huntington Place in Detroit.
Click to Enlarge
Ford revealed the new Bronco RTR, which was developed based on intense off-roading at Johnson Valley.
The event was hosted by third-generation off-road racer Shelby Hall, whose grandfather, Rod Hall, was a Ford desert-racing legend. Shelby Hall joined several Ford leaders onstage, surrounded by Broncos and Raptor and Tremor editions of Ford trucks immersed in desert scenery representing the ideal playground for our off-road products. Ford’s spirit of exploration can be traced back to our founder, Henry Ford, who took his Model T on camping trips with his friends. That off-roading heritage has helped make our company America’s best-selling 4x4 brand today.
“This was no accident,” CEO Jim Farley said. “This was always in our DNA. We decided more than a decade ago that it was Ford’s job to inspire Americans to get into the wild with vehicles that would blow their minds, for work and for adventure.”
Ready to rock
Ford introduced the Bronco RTR, the latest Ford collaboration with driver and RTR Vehicles founder Vaughn Gittin Jr. It was inspired by competition in the most extreme off-road racing environments and designed with the flair that has become synonymous with the “Ready to Rock” brand. Gittin was on hand to unveil the new SUV, which offers a Sasquatch Package that includes standard FOX shocks and 35-inch tires.
Click to Enlarge
RTR Vehicles founder Vaughn Gittin Jr. (right) helped reveal the new Bronco RTR.
Andrew Frick, president, Ford Blue and Model e, drew a big cheer from the crowd when he announced that Bronco outsold its rival, Jeep Wrangler, in retail sales in 2025. He also announced that the popular Tremor trim series will be expanding to Ranger later this year.
Click to Enlarge
Andrew Frick (left), president, Ford Blue and Model e, gave an overview of Ford’s off-road sales around the world.
RJ Zanon and Austin Gillis, who recently completed the Baja 1000 in a salvaged and rebuilt Bronco purchased from a junkyard months earlier, shared their experience with the crowd. Their story resonated with Matthew Corlew, an F-150 Plant Vehicle Team engineer at Dearborn Truck Plant.
Click to Enlarge
Ford Chief Nameplate Engineer, Ed Krenz (left) was joined onstage by RJ Zanon and Austin Gillis, who drove a rebuilt Bronco in the Baja 1000.
“For them to be able to go and find this vehicle and bring it back to life and go compete at Baja — that’s a testament to our products and it shows that customers can do anything with our products,” said Corlew, a second-generation Ford employee and member of the Ford Influencers group. “They’re average people, too, and that’s inspiring for other people to do the same thing.”
Off to the races
Ford Racing took the spotlight on Thursday to kick off the 2026 season with an extravaganza at Michigan Central Station that also celebrated the company’s return to Formula 1 racing. Nearly 500 Ford employees and their guests attended – and, earlier in the day, another 400-plus were at a preview, which included the reveal of the F1 liveries bearing the Blue Oval, marking for the first time in more than two decades Ford has participated in the sport. Outside of the blue- and red-tinted halls of the iconic former Detroit train depot, nearly 1,300 employees and media viewed during watch parties throughout the world.
Click to Enlarge
Nearly 1,300 employees watched the Ford Racing Season Launch event at watch parties around the world.
The new Mustang Dark Horse SC was driven through MCS to great fanfare.
In addition to vehicle reveals, one of the night’s biggest moments came with the virtual debut of the next-generation hybrid power unit co-developed by Ford and Red Bull Racing under the Red Bull Ford Powertrains partnership. The hybrid power unit will underpin the Formula 1 cars raced by Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. Executive Chair Bill Ford welcomed Red Bull Racing into the Ford family and shared the personal connection he feels to motorsports.
Click to Enlarge
Liveries bearing the Blue Oval were revealed for the teams who will be using the new hybrid powertrain unit developed by Red Bull Ford Powertrains.
“Our family name is on every product we sell and it’s on every car that we race,” he said. “That’s a lot of pressure, but it also brings a lot of pride, and I love it. … We’re racing for our family, our employees, dealers and our customers, and we’re racing for America. I love it and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Click to Enlarge
The exterior of Michigan Central Station announced the arrival of Thursday’s event.
The high-energy event, hosted by actor, automotive enthusiast and proud F-150 Raptor R owner Dax Shepard, began with a Fan Fest outside The Station, featuring Red Bull athlete demos, car displays and Detroit Lions mascot Roary. A line of attendees snaked through the inside of the building for the opportunity to meet more than 20 Ford Racing drivers from multiple series and get their autographs.
Click to Enlarge
A pair of racing simulators were a popular attraction at the event.
One employee, Peter Schultz, a program manager for the Mustang Mach-E and a member of the Ford Influencers group, began following Formula 1 more closely after Ford announced its intent to return to the series two years ago. His favorite driver, four-time champion Max Verstappen, was on hand Thursday to assist with the livery reveals.
Click to Enlarge
The lighting throughout the building alternated colors during the program and multiple projections decorated the high ceilings.
“It’s been awesome just to see the scope of everything that Ford is doing globally with our motorsports program,” Schultz said. “It’s just the embodiment of the play-to-win mentality. Wherever there’s a race to be won, we want to be in the winner’s circle. That really speaks a lot to us as a company, that we want to win everywhere we go.”
Click to Enlarge
Nearly 500 employees and their guests attended the event in-person.
Farley and Shepard opened the event with a brief discussion about the value and importance of racing to Ford Motor Company and its future.
Click to Enlarge
Red Bull athletes kept the crowd entertained throughout the night.
“We’re lucky we work in an industry where we have our own sport — motorsports,” Farley said. “We like to win because we’re competitive at Ford. Also, we race because it makes our products better with racing technology, like the Ford GT or the F-150 Raptor R. Those are all informed by racing. And we want all of employees to be proud to work for Ford because we’re the best.”
Watch the full presentation here:
Global dominance
Ford’s global motorsports pursuits span from the grassroots levels all the way to the most elite stages in the world. The company will be participating in 34 series globally this year, the busiest motorsports schedule in the company’s 125 years. This follows a year in which Ford Racing took 91 race wins in nearly 40 countries with 20 different products.
Click to Enlarge
Mustang Dark Horse SC is seen here prior its reveal.
Ford Racing Global Director Mark Rushbrook shared the latest news across each series and program throughout the night. He also shared more details about our plans for a return to Le Mans next year with a new Hypercar program, as well as a return to Pikes Peak with the Super Mustang Mach-E, an EV demonstration vehicle, driven by Romain Dumas.
Click to Enlarge
Ford Racing took 91 victories across the globe last year.
Ford Racing General Manager Will Ford emphasized the significance of returning to Le Mans.
“In the 1960s, we were the challenger, and we made a statement about who we are and what our company can do when we set our minds to it,” he said. “We changed the perception of Ford Motor Company with that race.”
Standing the test of time
Ford also used the moment at the auto show to announce a new partnership with another iconic Detroit brand, Carhartt. The collaboration will bring a new dedicated workwear line, a special co-branded F-Series Super Duty truck available this year, and the establishment of a tool donation center in the city, expanding access to tools and training.
Click to Enlarge
Carhartt CEO Linda Hubbard (left) joined Farley to announce a new partnership between Ford and Carhartt.
“It’s remarkable how both of our companies have survived and thrived for over a century,” Farley said on Tuesday. “I think it proves something we all know in our gut. The great products for hardworking Americans and people around the globe stand the test of time.”
Sandwiched in between Ford’s auto show preview event and the Ford Racing season launch, the company picked up its sixth straight North American Truck of the Year award, with Maverick Lobo earning the honor. A street-performance version of Ford’s award-winning compact pickup, Maverick Lobo fended off a pair of co-finalists from Ram to take the honor.
