About
On August 11, 1965, Don Frey, the Ford Motor Company Vice President and Ford Division General Manager, along with Ford legend Lee Iacocca, introduced one of the world’s first compact sport-utility-vehicles (SUV), the Ford Bronco by noting the company had added ‘another pony to the stable’ to join the Mustang. It was internally code-named the Bronco to play off the horse metaphor, and the name stuck. This industry-changing compact SUV was designed with simplicity and utility in mind. The original Bronco design was created by McKinley Thompson Jr., the first African American designer at Ford. Its design began by studying a 4×4 leisure car, with classic square and short bodywork, solid height, minimal overhangs for exceptional off-road capability, and with its four wheels positioned at the far corners of the body for a safe and assertive driving position. As the first SUV model developed by the company, there were five generations of the Bronco that were sold from 1966 to 1996. The Classic Bronco or Early Bronco models are considered those that were released from 1966-1977.
In the 1990s, Ford experienced a decline in demand for their large two-door SUVs, and discontinued the Bronco after the 1996 model year, later replacing it with the four-door Ford Expedition and later the Ford Excursion. From the second generation up through the fifth generation of the Bronco, there were ups and downs in Ford’s production figures. The second and third generations of the Bronco are now popular collectors’ models, while the fourth and fifth are less so. None of the later models of the Bronco are more collected, however, than the Early Bronco.
The Early Bronco’s extraordinary style and off-road performance led it to become a cult classic with a dedicated following. Now that Ford is making the Bronco again, the Early Bronco has gained even more interest among 4-wheel drive lovers and collector car enthusiasts. It’s sleek and sturdy construction, V8 power, and exceptional maneuverability guarantee good off-road performance and provide an easy modification platform with a great historical reputation. The classic 1966-1977 Ford Bronco currently rates as the number one appreciating classic vehicle and will continue to grow in value and popularity in years to come.
The Early Bronco
The first generation of Broncos, considered ‘Early Broncos’ were produced from 1966-1977. The idea was to get the short, compact build of a car with a more truck-like suspension and design. They wanted to produce a utilitarian, simple and sporty vehicle, ready for adventure. With little comfort options available, they did offer a variety of accessories for Early Broncos including a snowplow, a winch, and a posthole digger—options that further embodied the rugged personality of this do-it-all vehicle. The early base Broncos were sold as roadster-types, without a roof or doors. All Early Broncos were 4-wheel drive and came with a Dana Corporation Model 20 transfer case and manual locking hubs. In all its years, the Early Ford Bronco came from the factory with a 9-inch rear end. From 1966-1971, the Early Bronco sported a Dana 30 differential. In late 1971, Ford changed to the much stronger Dana 44 model front end standard. Designed by Paul G Axelrad, McKinley Thompson Jr., and their team, the Early Broncos were created with a focus on simplicity and economy, in order to compete fairly with the Jeep and International Harvester models on the market. The axles and brakes were roughly taken from the Ford F100 4×4 trucks with some minor alterations allowing the use of coil springs giving the Early Bronco a 34-foot turning radius and longer wheel travel.
The 1971-1975 limited-run commemorative Baja Bronco model by Bill Stroppe is one of the most notorious iterations of the Bronco, known for its victories in the Baja 500 and Baja 1000 off-road events. The Baja Bronco was equipped with a rear bench seat, extra cooling package, swing-away tire carrier, heavy-duty suspension, reduced noise exhaust, and an auxiliary fuel tank.
In 1973, Ford added automatic transmission options, and during this year, the Early Ford Bronco popularity was at an all-time high, selling more than 26 thousand units.
Although the roadster style (originally released as a body style with the initial Bronco lines alongside station wagon and half-cab option) was a fun look, its impracticality outweighed its charming style and was taken out of the market in ’68. The half-cab was taken out in ’72, leaving the three-door, four-wheel drive, wagon option as the iconic body style we all think of as an “Early Bronco.”
Although each year of the Early Bronco differentiates from the previous in one way or another, the Early Broncos are the most popular models of the Broncos to date, even more so since the release of the new Ford Broncos. With its timeless SUV body style, all-terrain capabilities, reliable performance, and its rarefication, this collector’s vehicle is a treasure.