Ford Bronco

Ford Bronco
Manufacturer	Ford
aka
Production	1966 - 1977 1978 - 1996
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Ford Bronco

Ford introduced the Bronco as its first SUV in 1966. It was the earliest American made SUV and broke ground on creating an entirely new market for cars in the US. The Bronco was produced as a mid-size SUV until 1977 without any major modifications to the body or trim. Certain features as power steering, disc brakes, and larger engines were added through they years, but the design changes were subtle. Broncos continued to be produced from 1978 until 1996 as a full-size two door SUV. Today, there is a fairly large market for 1966-1977 Bronco parts and accessories, and many Broncos are being restored or used for offroading or rock-crawling.

Websites Related to the Bronco

Early Broncos (1966-1977) - [1]

    -Early Bronco Forum - [2]

Full-Size Broncos (1978-1996) - [3]

    -Full-Size Bronco Forum - [4]

Changes to the Early Bronco from1966-1977

1966

• Production of the 1966 model year Bronco began on October 1, 1965.

• Broncos came in these three different models: Roadster, Wagon, and Pickup.

• The only mirrors were a driver side and a rear view mirror.

• There were 4,100 Roadsters produced.

• There were 7,000 Pickups produced.

• There were 13,000 Wagons produced

• In total, there were 24,100 Broncos produced in its first production year.

1967

• The sport package was introduced offering features such as: sport emblem, vinyl front seats, bright aluminum body trim, and chrome bumpers.

• Seat belts were added for safety.

• There was an optional 289 c.i. V-8 offered in place of the 6 cylinder engine, which came with new 289 emblems on the front fender.

• There was an optional 5 gallon auxiliary fuel tank available.

• There were 700 Roadsters produced.

• There were 2,600 Pickups produced.

• There were 10,900 Wagons produced.

• In total, there were 14,200 Broncos produced during the 1967 production year.

1968

• Many changes were made this year, including the discontinuation of the Roadster, in order to get sales back up.

• The dash was changed to steel and was redesigned and painted.

• The doors and mirrors were completely redesigned.

• Electric windshield wipers took the place of the old-school vacuum wiper setup.

• An option for a swing away tire carrier was added.

• There were 2,200 Pickups produced.

• There were 14,400 Wagons produced.

• In total, there were 16,600 Broncos produced during the 1968 production year.

1969

• The 302 c.i. replaced the 289 V-8.

• The fenders received the 302 V-8 emblems.

• Dana Spicier replaced the Borg Warner Driveshaft.

• Electric wipers became standard.

• The instrument cluster design changed.

• This was the last year for the chrome windshield retaining knobs.

• There were 2,300 Pickups produced.

• There were 18,600 Wagons produced.

• In total, there were 20,900 Broncos produced during the 1969 production year.

1970

• Tail light reflectors changed.

• Bolts are used instead of the chrome windshield knobs.

• This was the last year of the inferior 3 piece wiring harness.

• This was also the last year for the non-vented auxiliary fuel tank.

• There were 1,700 Pickups built.

• There were 16,800 Wagons built.

• In total, there were 18,500 Broncos produced during the 1970 production year.

1971

• This was the first year that the Stroppe Baja Bronco was offered. This was a special addition Bronco that is worth much more than other Broncos today.

• The Dana 30 front axle was replaced by the stronger Dana 44.

• The fuse box was moved into the glove compartment with the new style wiring harness.

• The wiper solvent bottle was changed and the pump became an internal style.

• This was the last year for the 302 emblem.

• There were 1,500 Pickups built.

• There were 18,300 Wagons built.

• In total, there were 19,800 Broncos produced during the 1971 production year.

1972

• The Pickup model of the Bronco was discontinued.

• There were now interior colors available for the Bronco.

• The column shifter handle design was changed to shift more smoothly.

• The air cleaner was redesigned to help increase air flow.

• There was 21,100 Wagons produced.

1973

• This is the first year for the power steering option with a 302.

• This was also the first year for the C-4 Automatic Transmission with the V-8.

• 1973 was the only year that an orange was available as an interior color.

• The explorer package was introduced.

• The transfer-case shifter was switched from a T-shift to to the J-Style shifter.

• There were 21,900 Wagons produced.

1974

• A dome light was put into the electric wiper cover, offering the first interior light in a Bronco.

• This was the only year that a red interior was available.

• During mid-year, an electronic ignition was incorporated into the 302.

• The steering wheel was changed to accept a long thin vinyl horn instead of the pot metal button.

• This was the last year for the Bill Stroppe Baja Bronco.

• This was also the last year for the 200 c.i. 6 cylinder motor.

• There were 25,800 Wagons produced.

1975

• Emissions regulations by the government caused many changes to vehicles from 1975 until present.

• Unleaded fuel was introduced to the Bronco.

• There were catalytic converters installed due to the pollution control laws.

• There were 13,100 Wagons produced.

1976

• Disk brakes were introduced on the front axle, with the option of making them power.

• The rear brakes were upgraded to a larger drum size.

• The Ranger Package was introduced.

• The steering column design was changed.

• The power steering box was given a quicker turning radius, 3.8 turns lock to lock.

• There were 15,300 Wagons produced.

1977

• This was the only year for the gas tank doors instead of filler caps on the exterior of the body.

• The rear tank was completely redesigned. It was now 14.4 Gallons instead of 12.

• The front parking brake cable was redesigned.

• There were 14,600 Wagons produced during the last year that the classic Bronco would be produced.

Competitors to the early 1966-1977 Bronco

Although the Bronco was the first SUV to sneak into the American automobile market, it was not the first SUV produced. There was the Scout produced by International Harvester, Jeepster by Jeep, and Land Rover, which were all produced before the Bronco came into the picture. The reason the Bronco became such a big hit, however, is because none of the other 4x4 vehicles offered any of the same luxuries as a passenger car that most Americans were used to driving. The Bronco bridged the gap between rugged 4x4 machines, and luxury driving cars. It offered people the ability to take their comfort offroad and explore the places they had never gone before. Today, 1966-1977 Broncos will be spotted far more often than these other early 4x4 vehicles. Broncos are known for their extreme performance in rock-crawling competitions, and are a popular choice for modifications.