While we wait for the debut of the 2020 Ford Bronco, the latest vintage version of the 4x4 is a beauty: a first-generation Bronco originally built as a test vehicle, then rebadged by Ford-backed racing firm Holman & Moody. It's courtesy of Gooding & Co., set to hit the auction block at Pebble Beach Aug. 24-25, where it could fetch $180,000 to $220,000.
This specific example was reportedly delivered to Ford's research and engineering center on Aug. 29, 1968 (that's almost exactly 50 years ago), then was quickly sold to the Ford-backed racing firm Holman & Moody and Bronco off-road race team honcho Bill Stroppe for $1 as part of the automaker's "Dollar Car" agreement. They renamed it the Bronco Hunter, removed the original Ford VIN and replaced it with a Holman & Moody serial number, and gave it its lovely orange paint finish, which wouldn't otherwise debut until 1971 on Ford's Baja Bronco. It was given a concours restoration courtesy of Colin Comer after being discovered in 2016.
It's got a 302 CID Ford Windsor V8 that sends 279 horsepower through a three-speed manual gearbox. It's fitted with front and rear limited-slip differentials, four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes, rear live axle suspension with semi-elliptical leaf springs, and a Bronco Sport package. Dig the white interior, including that rear bench, the ultra-simplistic dashboard controls and that extended stick shifter. A textbook example of how they definitely don't make 'em like they used to.
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This specific example was reportedly delivered to Ford's research and engineering center on Aug. 29, 1968 (that's almost exactly 50 years ago), then was quickly sold to the Ford-backed racing firm Holman & Moody and Bronco off-road race team honcho Bill Stroppe for $1 as part of the automaker's "Dollar Car" agreement. They renamed it the Bronco Hunter, removed the original Ford VIN and replaced it with a Holman & Moody serial number, and gave it its lovely orange paint finish, which wouldn't otherwise debut until 1971 on Ford's Baja Bronco. It was given a concours restoration courtesy of Colin Comer after being discovered in 2016.
It's got a 302 CID Ford Windsor V8 that sends 279 horsepower through a three-speed manual gearbox. It's fitted with front and rear limited-slip differentials, four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes, rear live axle suspension with semi-elliptical leaf springs, and a Bronco Sport package. Dig the white interior, including that rear bench, the ultra-simplistic dashboard controls and that extended stick shifter. A textbook example of how they definitely don't make 'em like they used to.
Related Video:
Featured Gallery 1969 Ford/Holman & Moody Bronco
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