The biggest trade-in for a coveted 2021 Ford Bronco is actually not the Jeep Wrangler, as folks might expect in the war for off-road dominance.

It's a cash game these days for an SUV that made its comeback after an absence that lasted a quarter of a century — then launched during COVID-19.

“The early adopters buying the Bronco want them, they don't need them,” said Jeff King, vice president and general manager at Bozard Ford Lincoln in St. Augustine, Florida, who plans to sell more than 30 Broncos in December alone.

“The biggest trend we can see on trade-ins is that a lot of people don't have them,” he said. “We're not seeing half of them being Jeeps.”

In Michigan, Bronco sales continue to flow with no signs of slowing, said Chad Wilson, general manager of Wilson Ford in Saginaw and Midland Ford.

The range of customers includes just about everybody from a nurse trading a Jeep Wrangler to another customer opting to keep the new Bronco as an off-road third vehicle, he said. “I think Ford anticipated a lot of demand but nothing to the level it has been.”

Supply chain disruptions and a semiconductor chip shortage have led to factory closures and an overall production slowdown that fuels demand for the all-new Bronco, said Mark Grueber, Ford Bronco marketing manager.

“This is a vehicle people are adding to the household, and the frequency of that is greater than other vehicles,” he told the Free Press. “Bronco demand remains strong nearly a year and a half after the reveal, appealing to both experienced enthusiasts and those looking to get into the wild for the first time.”

When he's not taking in Jeeps on trade, it's cash — and it's almost always a cash purchase, he said.“They'll typically just write the check,” Douglas said. “New Bronco owners are usually adding a vehicle to their current portfolio. Many are well-to-do purchasers. There are essentially no incentives or rebates on Bronco. In other words, this is not a payment shopper. They're buying this vehicle because they want it and they can afford it. We're ultimately catering to a totally new customer to Ford.”Ford introduced the vehicle in June 2020 and began delivering in June 2021.More and more, customers are moving to three vehicles now and especially when the stable has a Bronco, said Steve Gabbara, general manager at Szott Ford in Holly, Michigan.

In Texas, Broncos are seen as quick turn-around investments.“We find some people who are buying and immediately selling them,” said Sam Pack, CEO of Pack Auto Group based in the Dallas area.This situation is disturbing, he said, because his dealerships have had a policy for 40 years not to sell new vehicles above the manufacturer's suggested retail price, or MSRP.“Some individuals who are purchasing at our MSRP are taking the Broncos to auction and selling them for $10,000 or $20,000 profit or more. We've tracked it and know that to be the case,” Pack said. “As a result of what they're doing, we're thinking of changing our policy. If we're not the only ones, we're one of the very few selling at MSRP rather than some premium price.”