Why the Ford Bronco Filson's Filson Bags Aren't Actually Filson

• What's new: The Ford Bronco Filson incorporates design elements from the Seattle outfitter's luggage and outerwear, but Filson didn't produce any of the materials.
• Why it matters: Brand collaborations like this aren't always what you might think. 
• Edmunds says: As cool as it would have been to have an interior made from the same sturdy canvas and bridle leather Filson uses for its products, that's all but impossible. What we got is a great compromise. 

The reality isn't too far off. Ford and Filson developed saddle bags built into the door pockets and seatbacks with the pleated leather and closure straps you'd see on one of Filson's iconic Tin Cloth bags, quilted leather seating that nods to the liners of the company's insulated jackets, and removable bags fitted to the rear windows that'd look at home in Filson's showrooms. Turns out, none of it's actually made by Filson. I was initially disappointed to get hands-on with the new luxury Bronco's interior in person and realize the Filson elements weren't made of the same materials as the outfitter's products, but now I know why. 

Vehicle interior durability standards are kind of insane. Choosing materials for the interior of a car that may be driven every day for the next decade-plus has very different design parameters than a jacket or a bag. Materials that end up in a new production car need to pass three strict standards: UV resistance, ingress/egress durability, and fire safety. 

Materials need UV resistance to prevent fading or degradation from prolonged exposure to the sun. That's part of why bright colors are so rare. "We'd love to have the whole color spectrum to play with, but it comes down to the practicality of it," said Christine Wakefield, a color and material designer at Ford. "For Bronco automotive spec, it really has to endure doors off, roof off, really every element."

Then there's ingress and egress — getting in and out of the car. If you ever look at an older used car with a bunch of miles on it, the first sign of wear you'll notice? The outer bolster on the driver's side is often cracked, torn and beat-up, the result of thousands of use cycles of the driver getting in and out of the car. That's the reason why Ford and other automakers specify leather-trimmed seats, which typically use animal leather on the seating surface and more durable synthetic leather on the bolsters and headrests.

And of course, fire safety. This one's pretty self-explanatory; in the case of a car fire, you don't want anything in the cabin that will accelerate that burn. 

Now Filson's jackets and luggage are tough, durable pieces, but they're not designed to look the same after 10 years of hard use. Filson takes pride in its lifetime warranty and repair programs; when I toured Filson's Seattle production facility, the plant manager proudly showed me pieces in the mending shop that had undergone numerous visible fixes over the decades. They're designed to last, but not without attention, repair, and layers of patina. Filson senior designer Rae Krause told me the brand's famous Tin Cloth — a tightly woven, cotton canvas saturated with wax for weather resistance — would melt in prolonged summer heat, leaving puddles of liquefied wax in the floor mats. 

So no, the materials used in the Bronco Filson are not made by Filson, but I think that's OK. The design elements in the car succeed in nodding toward Filson's heritage while satisfying Ford's automotive durability standards. Designers I spoke to on both sides are excited about where the project landed; I'll have to keep the decades-in-progress denim fades and patinaed waxed canvas to my wardrobe.