Back from the dead: Cars that are making a comeback

Icons from Chevy, Ford, Jeep & Toyota being resurrected

1979 Ford Bronco (Ford Motor Company photo)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Cars we once thought were gone for good are making a comeback, and you'll see their new styles during News4Jax's coverage of the Jacksonville International Auto Show on Thursday night at 8 p.m.

That includes the Ford Ranger, which we last saw about eight years ago. You might recall, the compact truck made its official debut in the North American market in 1983.

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Three generations of the Ranger were rolled off the assembly line over a span of nearly three decades. Now, it's returning to North America for the 2019 model year. 

Expect a starting price tag around $24,000 for the new one.

Not far down that same dusty trail sits Chevy, which is resurrecting the Blazer.

The old Blazer, which first appeared in 1969, was General Motors' smallest full-size SUV. It got replaced in 1995 by the Tahoe.

You might recall the Blazer had "full convertible" tops until 1975. There were four engine choices in the early 70s from the 250 straight-6 all the way to the 250 V8.

The new Blazer, honestly, looks nothing like its boxy predecessor. Instead, Chevy has incorporated sleek curves into the new design, which are reminiscent of the Camaro. Starting price is expected to be about $29,000.

Speaking of boxy SUVs, we've known since 2017 that Ford is definitely bringing back the Bronco. A teaser photo, unfortunately, is the only thing we have apart from a concept design.

The Bronco was first introduced to the American market in 1966 and stuck around until 1996. They all had four-wheel drive powertrains and were made for off-roading.

The new Bronco will be built alongside the Ford Ranger at the same plant in Michigan that the prior generation Broncos were built. It'll be a mid-size SUV that uses a four-door body frame for the first time.

No word yet on how much the new Bronco will run. It's expected to be released sometime in 2021.

Jeep is kicking up some dirt and slinging mud in the pickup truck market with the all-new Gladiator. Despite the name, it looks a whole lot like a Scrambler from the 1980s.

The Gladiator was first introduced during the 1963 model year as a body-on-frame pickup that shared the same basic architecture of the Wagoneer.

The truck stayed in Jeep's lineup until Chrysler bought out AMC (which owned the Jeep name) in 1987. Expect the new Gladiator to start around $30,000.

Back on asphalt and leaving a smoky trail of twisted tire marks is the Toyota Supra. No doubt you've driven one before, though it was likely in a video game.

The car debuted in 1978 and was last seen in the North American market in 1998. Arguably, the fourth and final generation of the Supra will go down as one of the most desired. Chances are, you'll remember it from the Fast and the Furious.

According to Car and Driver, the turbocharged version of the fourth-gen Supra could sprint to 60 mph in as little as 4.5 seconds. That's seriously fast for the 90s.

Expect the new Supra to start around $40,000.


About the Authors

Richard Nunn is the Weather Authority Chief Meteorologist

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