Bronco Racing – Ford’s Legendary 4x4 in Off-Road Competition

Author: John Elkin Published by: Car Tech ISBN: 978-1-61325-596-4

The Ford Bronco is a little-known car/light truck here in the UK. In the US it is a legend. It first appeared in 1966 as a short wheelbase 4x4 designed specifically to compete with the Jeep CJ5 and the International Scout. Both were well established, tough utilitarian vehicles with an impressive off-road capability. Ford realised that it had nothing similar to attract buyers who were looking for dual purpose road and track vehicles and started from scratch with that in mind. The result was the phenomenally successful Bronco. Produced in several basic forms, it came as a three-door wagon with a full cab, a half-cab pick-up and an open roadster with cut-outs instead of doors.

While having a no-nonsense interior and the necessarily high ground clearance for off-road use, they soon won over the CJ5 and Scout enthusiasts as Broncos were also accomplished road-going SUVs. Inevitably, when Bronco fans got together they soon started to race and soon it had been established as a successful competition vehicle from Mid-West short track dirt racing to serious long endurance off-road marathons such as the Baja 1000. This new book describes how the Bronco developed into one of the best all-round off-road racers ever.

Even today, when the original examples are both very elderly and rare, there is a solid fan base for these first-generation models and the following four generations. Ford eventually pulled the plug in the mid-Nineties, replacing the increasingly large Bronco with the more sophisticated Expedition SUV.

Things tend to be cyclical however and so it is with the Bronco. After a 25-year hiatus the Bronco returned to the market amidst great fanfare. More sophisticated than before, and yet still no-nonsense and tough as nails, the latest incarnation is still racing. Filled with photos of Broncos old and new negotiating the most rugged terrain, with wheels in the air and dust clouds billowing, this fascinating history ably recounts the Bronco’s racing history and heritage with nary a Jeep in sight. A great read about a vehicle few of us will have seen; it’s a shame more of them are not available to buy and enjoy over here.