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101 Cars: Ford Bronco
Written by: SPEED Staff
SPEEDtv.com   
08/18/2008 - 09:14 AM
Charlotte, North Carolina
 
Over its 11-year production run, the Bronco would see lists of changes. (Photo: Barrett-Jackson) ยป More Photos

Any business hats to see rivals get a free ride in a market segment, particularly when the capability to compete is there. So when Jeep's CJ-5 and International Harvester's Scout were gobbling up growing off-road four-wheel-drive sales, Ford concocted its own player and called it, appropriately, the Bronco. Those first Broncos, debuting as 1966 models, were Spartan vehicles, and only the Falcon inline six and three-speed manual transmission were available. It was compact, its wheelbase 96 inches. A two-speed transfer case, short overhang, high ground clearance, and tight turning radius made it a capable off-roader.

The roadster had a folding windshield and could go without doors. Over its 11-year production run, the Bronco would see lists of changes, from enhanced passenger comfort to compliance with regulations and improved utility. The open roadster version, then the half-cab pickup, would be discontinued, but through it all, Bronco kept the functional, rectangular shape and its rugged, go-anywhere facility. Yet changing times and an aging platform made ford look to its full-size pickups as a base still its only SUV. The smaller first-generation Bronco yielded to the bigger truck.

Specifications
Engine: 170-ci OHV inline six; 302-ci OHV V-8
Horsepower: 105; 220
0–60 mph: Unknown
Top Speed: Unknown
Price New: $2,404-$3,149
Value Now: About $12,000
Ford Bronco Photos



Claim to Fame

CLAIM TO FAME: Ford's initial foray into the world of SUVs.


Soundtrack

SOUNDTRACK: "Back in the Saddle Again" by Gene Autry


Perfect Passenger

PERFECT PASSENGER: Get Daisy Duke out of that Jeep once and for all.


Behind the Wheel

BEHIND THE WHEEL: The Early Bronco Registry can help, and there are local Bronco clubs around the country.


Did You Know?

DID YOU KNOW: Off-Road racer Bill Stroppe and Parnelli Jones dominated desert racing in the early 1970s in a "funny" Bronco named Big Ily after its Olympia Beer sponsorship.


The Perfect Drive

THE PERFECT DRIVE: Let's throw a picnic basket in the back and drive down by the river.



Read the REVIEW and Get Your Copy of 365 Cars You Must Drive

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Do you have a Ford Bronco? Tell us about it!

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