Moray Callum's retro ride

Moray Callum's latest retro ride may offer a glimpse into Ford's future.

The automaker's chief designer, a vintage car enthusiast, is cruising around town these days in a black 1976 Bronco SUV. He bought it from an employee at Ford's former Wixom Assembly Plant and says that, out of all the old cars he owns, it's his wife's favorite.

Callum said he loves the simplicity of the original body style and likes how high up passengers sit in the cabin.

"It's very inspirational," he said.

Whether or not some of the vehicle's original features make it into the next model, set to debut in 2020, remains to be seen.

Ford officials have remained mum about many details, despite confirming last week that the off-road SUV would return, along with the midsize Ranger pickup, and be built at the Michigan Assembly Plant.

One thing is certain: It will be a body-on-frame behemoth designed to challenge rivals like the Jeep Wrangler, not a smoother-riding, fuel-economy-friendly unibody utility like the Ford Escape.

"This is a no-compromise midsize 4x4 utility for the thrill-seekers who want freedom and off-road functionality with the space and versatility of an SUV," Joe Hinrichs, Ford's president of the Americas, said last week at the Detroit auto show. "It's capable of conquering everything from your daily commute to gravel roads and boulders." 

Executive Chairman Bill Ford called the upcoming SUV a "true, tough Bronco. A real off-road vehicle." 

Ford, who noted he's owned Broncos since he got his driver's license, confirmed the new SUV will be built on the company's T-6 midsize truck platform, similar to the Ranger. 

Callum's '76 has at least one feature that's not likely to return in the new model: a three-on-the-tree manual transmission. 

"I tried to valet park it last year in a restaurant," Callum said. "[The valet] said, "You park it.' He didn't know what to do with it."