An SUV for almost two million?
05/25/2021
You don't get that every day. A Ford Bronco off-road vehicle was auctioned off at the Mecum auction in Indianapolis on May 21, 2021 for a whopping USD 1.87 million.
Of course, this was no ordinary Bronco, but the Baja 1000 winner from 1971 and 1972, driven by Parnelli Jones and Bill Stroppe. The car became known as the "Big Oly" because its sponsor was the Olympia Brewing Company.
The racing car had little to do with the basic vehicle, as mechanic Dick Russel opted for a tubular frame and a body made of plastic and aluminum. A Ford Windsor V8 was used as the engine. An enormous wing was enthroned on the roof. The four-wheeler weighed less than 1.2 tons and all future Baja racing car designers had to take their cue from it.
So you can understand that a restored Baja 1000 winner requires a premium over a normal off-road vehicle, but only the buyer can answer whether the almost USD 1.9 million is justified.
Incidentally, the Ford Bronco was not the most expensive car at Mecum's Indianpolis auction, as a 1930 Duesenberg Model SJ as a Rollston Convertible Victoria even fetched USD 2.97 million.
Results and insights into the Mecum auction can be found on their website.
