In addition to the Mustang, there is another horse that is part of the legend of the oval signature models, we are talking about the Bronco, born in 1966
The first Bronco was born in August 1965, as the 1966 model year, as the Anglo-Saxons say, but this story begins twenty years earlier, at the end of World War II in 1945.
As early as 1942, the United States Department of Agriculture tested two jeeps (one by Ford and the other by Willys) on an Alabama farm to study their uses outside the military, in agriculture. And a year later, the same department asks Willys to define its plans for agricultural use.
At Willys, they did not want the army jeeps to be used again after the war, as had happened with a lot of equipment (trucks, cars, motorcycles and other types of vehicles) at the end of the First World War, because this was a huge blow, and even the disappearance of his factory. His idea was to develop a specific model for civilian use in general and for the agricultural market in particular. The plan had to wait until the end of the conflict, in 1945, when a vehicle for civilian use was launched and so the CJ was born. In fact, Willys has created a new market segment, that of the so-called leisure vehicles, without explicitly looking for it.
In 1961, given the growing public interest in the Jeep for street use, International Harvester, a brand specializing in agricultural and commercial vehicles, under the name Scout, presented a recreational family 4×4 that was widely accepted.
Always alert to market trends, Ford sees a future in these recreational 4x4s and is studying its own alternative to the Scout. This is how the 1966 Bronco was born, with a design that attracts an audience that loves weekend adventures, the outdoors, camping, fishing… the films of Doris Day and other artists of the genre. The dimensions were cropped, we are talking about only 3.86 meters long and 1.75 meters long, and the same in height.
From the beginning, Bronco, a word of Spanish origin that in North America refers to untamed horses, comes in three varieties: the well-known two-door (Wagon); station wagon (Sports Utility) and convertible (Roadster). Despite the diversity, economy is the guiding principle behind the development of this 4×4. For example, the windows are completely flat, the doors on one side and the other of the truck and convertible are interchangeable and the bumpers are extremely simple. In addition, the standard equipment is very basic, but this does not prevent an endless list of options so that every user has a Bronco that suits him.
The same rule for simple solutions is used for the choice of motors. At launch, the Bronco appears with a 105 hp in-line six-cylinder engine (from the Ford Falcon), which is followed a few months later by a 200 hp V8. In both cases, the gearbox is the same: a three-speed manual. Between this box and the four-wheel drive is a transfer box with a reduction gearbox. The Bronco is simple but goes with you wherever you go.
“It’s not a car or truck, but it combines the best of both,” the ad reads. And the response has been excellent.
In 1966, the Bronco’s first year of commercial life, the year Stokely Carmichael, a leading civil rights advocate, produced 23,776 Ford units. The roadster appears in the catalog until 1969 and the pick-up until 1972. This first generation remains on sale until 1977, with some power and some comfort elements, although this word must be understood in a “limited” way.
The second generation appears in 1978. Now the Bronco is bigger, luxurious, comfortable and also heavy, but still easy to move off the asphalt. This second generation Bronco will have a single two-door version and, as in the previous one, the upper part of the body covering the cargo area can be removed to reveal it. And the engine is a V8, with two power variants. The commercial life of this second generation is short, as it has to compete with the Chevrolet Blazer/GMC Jimmy and Dodge Ramcharger, which can become fully-fledged convertibles.
For example, in 1980 a third generation of the Bronco appeared, derived from the Ford F-150, with which it shared the front. Now both the platform (with independent front suspension) and the mechanics are very modern: it has an in-line six-cylinder mated to a four-speed manual transmission and over time a V8 has been incorporated.
In the 1980s, the leisure vehicle market (which would later become SUVs) evolved and users demanded smaller and easier-to-drive models. Ford’s answer is: Introduced in 1983 as the 1984 model year, the Bronco II. Based on the Ranger pickup, it competes with the Jeep Cherokee. It will remain in production until 1990 when it disappears.
Meanwhile, the Bronco continues its career as such and, when the F-150 was redesigned in 1987, it also received significant changes. The body is now more aerodynamic and the three engines will have an electronic injection system over time. There is a 2.9-liter inline six-cylinder; a 5-litre V8 and a 5.8-litre V8. Depending on the engine, you can choose between a four- or five-speed manual transmission and a four-speed automatic. And for the first time, the 4×4 drive is not activated by a rough lever, but by a button.
Like all previous Broncos, the one that appeared in 1992 retains its square lines, two doors and the roof that can be removed, although this operation was not easy at all. The chassis is that of the F-150 and the six-cylinder engine will last until 1993. The V8s are updated to meet increasingly strict anti-pollution regulations.
In the 1990s, the market changes. Users are appearing who want vehicles with an all-terrain look, but more comfortable and easier to drive, and who don’t mind having a lower ability to brave complicated terrain off the tarmac. This leaves the Bronco, too rustic for new flavors, out of the game.
The last Bronco leaves the factory in Wayne, Michigan, on June 12, 1996, and is replaced by a large SUV, the Expedition, more adapted to the times and to modern tastes.
But the Bronco’s image, its philosophy, has kept its place in the hearts of fans. It is, in fact, an icon of American society. And as such should not be missing in the cinema. So you can see him in countless movies. Among them is “Terminator II” (1991), where we can see a 1982 Bronco with Arnold Schwarzenegger behind the wheel. With its huge wheels, this Bronco looks like the only one strong enough to be a real vehicle for its protagonist.
In the film «Speed» (in Spain «Speed: maximum power) from 1994 a Bronco is also present. Keanu Reeves, before figuring out how to keep a bus from exploding when stopped, drives a beautifully maintained 1970 gray Ford Bronco. With its twin roof lights and iconic round headlamps, this Bronco looks almost as good as Reeves and co-star Sandra Bullock.
In “Charlie’s Angels” a stripped-down blue Bronco from the 70s takes up a lot of screen time, in this movie he gets a lot of screen time. And he even has Bill Murray behind the wheel.
Or in “No Country for Old Men” (“No Country for Old Men”, from 2007) where a Bronco from the year 1979 appears. Fun fact is that there is a technical error in the timeline of the movie. The movie is set in 1980, so the 1979 model year makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is that the Bronco pictured has a Ford blue oval grille, which wasn’t available until 1982. Somewhere in the last few decades someone changed the original grille. Anyway, there it is as a symbol.
A symbol that has repeatedly made Ford think about the possibility of reviving it. A living room prototype was even presented (Detroit 2004), but it went no further. Now, in 2022, when a new Bronco is finally reborn, but that’s another story.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
