After more than 25 years, Ford is resurrecting one of its most legendary model names: the Ford Bronco - reason enough to take a closer look at the history of the Bronco.
The Bronco was born from the idea of standing up to the Jeep Wrangler of the time. The basis for this was the Ford M - 151 Mutt, the further development of the GP II (General Purpose), which was developed for the Second World War. The Bronco was now to combine its off-road capability with everyday practicality and a little more luxury in order to appeal to civilian customers as well.
First edition
1965 was the year: the Ford Bronco saw the light of day for the first time! It was marketed as "a completely new line of sports-utility vehicles", or SUVs for short. With its short wheelbase, it was very maneuverable. Additionally equipped with rigid axles, this resulted in an extremely capable off-road vehicle. However, the Bronco was not only intended to be used off-road, but also to feel at home in an urban environment. It was therefore significantly more luxurious than its competitors, the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota Land Cruiser. Incidentally, the idea for the Bronco came from Donald N. Frey, the creator of the Mustang.
Initially, a 2.8 liter in-line six-cylinder engine provided the propulsion. Later, V8 engines with up to 5 liters of displacement followed!
Overall Baja victory
What gave the First-Gen Bronco legendary status, however, was certainly a record that it still holds today. In 1969, it was the first 4x4 production car to win the Baja 1000 overall. This success, coupled with its enormous off-road capability, simple mechanics and iconic design, the First-Gen Bronco is still celebrated by off-road enthusiasts today.
Facelift and second edition
Facelift and second editionIn 1973, after seven years, Ford gave the Bronco its first major changes since its launch. Power steering and automatic transmission were added. Externally, however, it remained largely the same as its predecessor.
Ford then launched the second generation of the Bronco in 1978. To save costs, it was developed on the basis of the F-150 truck. The second generation was significantly larger than its predecessor. A big-block engine ensured that the new Bronco still made good progress and the newly available air conditioning system made sure that Mr. or Mrs. Bronco driver never broke a sweat when beating his car up the hill.
Further generations
In 1983, the Bronco II (third generation) arrived as a kind of "cousin" to the second generation. It was slightly smaller and was marketed as a family car rather than an off-roader. This was followed in 1987 by the fourth generation Bronco. Again, the vehicle swelled in size and was fitted with more modern equipment, such as an electronic fuel pump.
The fifth and last generation until 2021 appeared in 1992 and was built until 1996. The Bronco had now clearly become a luxury SUV, which is why the generations after the first-gen never received the same recognition from off-road enthusiasts as the original Bronco.
A new start
In 2021, Ford is now daring to resurrect the Bronco. The new model comes with rigid axles at the rear. Independent suspension is fitted at the front, but with two differential locks. Under the hood is either a 2.3-liter four-cylinder Ecoboost petrol engine with 230 hp and 420 Newton meters or a 2.7-liter V6 petrol engine with 310 hp and a whopping 542 Newton meters of torque. Two gearboxes are available: A ten-speed automatic transmission and a seven-speed manual gearbox. The latter has a particularly low first gear ratio as a "crawl" gear.
It remains to be seen whether the 2021 Bronco will be able to build on the success of the First-Gen or even achieve legendary status. What is certain, however, is that it has clearly found its way back to its roots in terms of character and should definitely make the rustic all-wheel-drive competition sweat.
