Car Spot: 1st Gen Ford Bronco

In the late 60s, Ford had everything going their way …

When you think of major product launches in the 60’s for Ford its most famous is the Mustang but there was another vehicle that hit a home run, the Bronco. The great outdoors were calling in 1966 and Ford was gunning for Jeep who was already in the market along with International Harvester with its Scout. Ford’s Bronco was designed to complement the then-new Mustang as a fun, youth-friendly off-roader.

Like the Jeep, the Bronco was simple with flat surfaces that were cheap to manufacture and easy to keep protected on the trail. It was offered up in three body styles emulating the Jeep CJ-5: The Wagon, which was a two-door with a removable hardtop, a Roadster, which came roofless and with inserts instead of doors, a Sports Utility Pickup better known as the “half-cab,” which did away with the rear bench seat and hardtop making it a mini pickup. The Roadster was not a hit with customers lasting only until 1968, making it a rare vehicle. The Bronco half-cab would stick around until 1973, leaving the popular wagon as the only body style for the remainder of the first-gen Bronco’s life.

Powering the Bronco was Ford’s 105-hp 2.8-liter I-6, paired with a three-speed manual transmission and four-wheel drive. In 1966 a 4.7-liter V-8 producing 200 hp found its way under the Bronco’s stubby little hood and then replaced by a bigger 4.9-liter V-8 in 1968. In 1973, the base I-6 was replaced by a 3.3-liter I-6, and a three-speed automatic was an option.

RELATED: Read our review of the new one.

According to FourWheeler, 225,585 first-generation Broncos were built between 1965 and 1977 when production ended. Of those, 203,544 were Wagons, 17,262 Sports-Utility Pickups, and 5,000 Roadsters. The next-gen Bronco was much bigger because Chevy made its K5 Blazer.

In 2006, the sixth-generation Bronco came back and is now offered as a mid-size two-door SUV for the first time. It is also offered as a full-size four-door SUV with a 16-inch longer wheelbase and competes directly with the Jeep Wrangler as both a two-door and a four-door convertible. These are great fun to drive and Mark and I have reviewed several.

Maybe it was because of the brand’s reintroduction but good examples of first gens are going for crazy cash. While you can pick up one for under 20 grand they will be in rough shape. I did find a couple that were going for over 200 grand. Yikes!

Thanks for stopping by and reading about my latest spot. Come back next Friday for another unusual car or truck along with some of its history. Have a great weekend.