for asking this question but here goes anyway...

What is the purpose of the flip up license plate on our EB's rear end?

My imaginative 14 yr old piped in with "that way you can still show your plates if you drive with the tail gate down"

It is as good a reason as I have come up with. SO come on fellas, there must be a reason, or os it another of the same engineer's ideas that came up with the windshield wiper design

That is an excellent question. I am eliminating ALL license plate holes (front and rear), then mounting my plate and light on the rear bumper.

got yerself a smart kid.
that is exactly what they are for.

there mey be another reason but through the years that is the only reason I could figure and have ever been told.
its the little things.

The reasoning that I heard is when hauling a big load in the back with the tailgate down you can flip the plate "up" and you can see it from behind. Try it.

Back in the day Bronco's were actually utility vehicles, cool to think that the designers were thinking of dropping the tailgate for loads. But I must confess that I left the flip-up on the front gate of the trailer to hold some future beverage as Dan mentioned.