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The Original Bronco

The original Bronco was Ford’s response to the growing market for small “personal” off-road utility vehicles, most visibly Jeep’s CJ and International’s Scout. These simple, rugged vehicles were marketed to outdoor sportsmen who were enjoying increasing income and leisure time. Period advertisements typically showed the vehicle parked in some rugged setting while the owner--alone, with friends, or with his family--enjoyed the great outdoors.

Rugged outdoor shots with men doing "men stuff", often with their sons, suggested the male bonding experience you would have with your Bronco.

A buyer could choose between three body styles: wagon, pickup (half cab) and roadster. The first versions of the Bronco featured 4-wheel drive, a diminutive 170ci/105hp six and a 3-speed column mounted manual transmission. It was, to say the least, busy and loud and not well-suited to life on the highway. A tough, solid axle suspension was used front and rear, suspended by coil springs up front and leafs out back. The front suspension design offered a generous amount of travel, important for any off-roader. A 289-2V V8 became an option mid-year and relaxed the little steed quite a bit.

Ford's marketing department appealed to the outdoorsmen in all of us. From serious obstacles to serene family outings in the "wild", the message was that Broncos always brought you new adventures.

Inside was quite spartan. Initially all interiors were gray, regardless of the exterior color. A large round speedometer with a ring of ancillary gauges around it was contained in a single gauge cluster. Bare metal dominated the interior, with the dash topped by a thin dash pad. Low maintenance rubber mats and vinyl upholstery were standard, and there were no options. Imagine that.

Predictably, while the Bronco started life as a true bare essentials backwoods machine, Ford began taming it almost immediately. Trim packages, automatic transmission, power steering and air conditioning all found their way into the Bronco. Ford steadily improved the Bronco, too, upgrading suspensions and drivetrains along the way. By the end of the run you were more likely to see the Bronco utilized as a suburban commuter that was used on an occasional camping or hunting trip than a single purpose, go anywhere vehicle. Make no mistake, though, it remained a very capable off-road vehicle.
 
 

Predictably, Bronco interiors went from plain-as-can-be to fully finished and trimmed.  Still, there's only so much you can do with the basic metal interior.

Inside was quite spartan. Initially all interiors were gray, regardless of the exterior color. A large round speedometer with a ring of ancillary gauges around it was contained in a single gauge cluster. Bare metal dominated the interior, with the dash topped by a thin dash pad. Low maintenance rubber mats and vinyl upholstery were standard, and there were no options. Imagine that. Predictably, while the Bronco started life as a true bare essentials backwoods machine, Ford began taming it almost immediately. Trim packages, automatic transmission, power steering and air conditioning all found their way into the Bronco. Ford steadily improved the Bronco, too, upgrading suspensions and drivetrains along the way. By the end of the run you were more likely to see the Bronco utilized as a suburban commuter that was used on an occasional camping or hunting trip than a single purpose, go anywhere vehicle. Make no mistake, though, it remained a very capable off-road vehicle.

What to Look For

Early Broncos typically led a hard life. Heavy wear on all mechanics is common, but the good news is that the parts necessary for a rebuild are all readily available. Transmissions, steering and suspension systems, and all of the 4WD systems should be checked out thoroughly. While this holds true for later Broncos as well, there’s a fair chance you can still find one of those suburban specials that saw little hard action. Both engines are tough and durable. Rust is common, especially on vehicles that forded streams and cruised along beaches. Often, the rust is so bad you’d be better off buying a good reproduction (and expensive) body shell. Check carefully throughout, paying close attention to floors, rockers, door posts, all the body panels and any seam locations. Again, all these parts are available but proper rust repair can be difficult and get very, very expensive if you’re not doing it yourself. So expensive, in fact, that it's worth looking into replacing the body with one of the available reproduction bodies on the market. They run around $14,000.

First gen Broncos have become fodder for custom rebuilds and can bring $100k+. We always have mixed feelings about this as we like them stock (or close to it), but countless Broncos have been saved in this manner that otherwise may not have.

Market

Bronco enthusiasts are active, but decentralized with many local and regional groups instead of a main national club. Many have modified or personalized their rides, often at great expense. We almost always prefer stock, but modest and functional upgrades do not seem to affect values at all, while over the top “creations” can bring big money. Many examples of these have easily passed $100k, and several impressive builds have gone well past even that. Back in the stock realm, on a strictly value basis the most desirable models are the ‘71 and later versions, with loaded ‘73-’77 302 automatics at the top. Values run anywhere from $25,000-$35,000 for a good #3 driver to over $60,000 for the cream of the crop. The roadster version fetches less, but the gap has been narrowing. After having experienced a steady and rapid value rise over the last several years, the latest data coming through shows a gradual slowing and then a plateauing of prices. The last Bronco evaluation we wrote was back in 2010, when these were a couple years into their journey upward. Like Toyota's FJ40 Land Cruiser, their rapid and steep rise took most everybody by surprise, including us. They ushered in the era of big-dollar vintage SUV's, starting a trend that has expanded and continues to this day.

Bronco values have been rising steadily and rapidly over several years. Full 2021 data isn't in, but we're seeing a leveling off of values for stock examples. Well done, expensive customs continue to reach new levels.