Yahoo Finance Fords of the Woods
The car may be all but dead at Ford, but the Blue Oval isn’t giving up on enthusiasts. Off-road enthusiasts, that is. Jim Farley, Ford’s president of global markets, has announced that the company will add a “lineup of off-road SUVs” for consumers to choose from.
Anchored by the forthcoming Bronco, the lineup will also include a Bronco-inspired compact crossover/SUV and could conceivably include a larger, Toyota Land Cruiser–like vehicle in the future. Whatever becomes of this more off-road-friendly Ford lineup, it’s possible that such models could be badged Maverick or Timberline, because Ford has registered both names with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Ford first applied the Maverick name to its then-new compact car of the 1970s. The name was also used outside North America to denote the first-generation Ford Escape. We’ve heard rumblings that the new sub-Bronco crossover SUV is designed to recall the handsome and blocky looks of the original Escape, making the Maverick name a prime candidate for the new model.
Or, the Timberline name could also be used for that vehicle. Although the name rolls off the tongue less readily compared to Maverick, there’s no denying the Timberline name has an outdoorsy vibe that works well with Ford’s plan to create a lineup of off-road SUVs. Timberline, though, might also be a trim designation, such as Ranger Timberline or Bronco Timberline.
We reached out to Ford for comment on the possibility of either name making its way to a production model but were told by North America vehicle communications manager Mike Levine that “[Ford] trademark[s] names as a normal course of business” and the company has no plans to announce forthcoming product names at this time.
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