The Ford Bronco - It was built to be an Off-Road workhorse

The Bronco was developed as an off-road vehicle that would use it own Platform. This was Ford’ first SUV. Today you can’t walk to your mailbox without seeing an SUV, in the early and mid 60’s that just wasn’t the case. The vision for an SUV has changed drastically over the years.
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[@bobuncle8704]

Such an iconic vehicle today.

[@joshuanewer5254]

I’m a bronco nut. Have been since 1997 when I bought my 68 in high school. And unbelievably I still have it to this day!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That's awesome! Thanks for watching!

[@gilabear11]

Enjoy your Ford content since we have been a Ford family from the 1960s to the present. About 1974, I was with my dad when we went to the local Ford dealership and test drove a red Bronco with an automatic transmission. We actually took it off-road on the test drive. As a 13-year old in rural New Mexico, I loved it. I really wanted my dad to get it. He said he'd think about it. A few days later, he brought home a 1974 F-100 LWB 4×4 (manual transmission) and not the red Bronco. I was a little disappointed, but the F-100 soon became a family favorite and was a beast off-road. We still have the truck... Side note: Later, I bought a 1964 CJ-5 as my first vehicle so I could explore the backwoods of southwest New Mexico.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

It sounds like you got to use your vehicles as they were intended to used and that's awesome. Thanks for sharing!

[@robh3267]

T he first gen Broncos are far more popular today than when they were actually being produced and are highly sought after by the off road community and a nice one commands a hefty price tag.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Very much so!

[@Templar50401]

Early Broncos are so hard to buy now. Precious as gold.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I had never looked into the Bronco prior to making this video. I was surprised several times about it's history. I never realized they made so few them, that power steering and an automatic transmission showed up so late to the option sheet, and that this model had such a long life span. They are expensive IF you can find one.

[@chrish2666]

In 1976 i was taught to drive a 3 on the tree on a early 70's Ford Bronco. I then in 1978 bought a new 1978 Bronco. I think SUV's could be today's station wagons.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I would agree with the station wagon comment but why did station wagon fall out of favor? They would handle better and get better gas mileage than an SUV.

[@michaelmartin2276]

I worked part time at a Ford Dealership in HS from '76 to '79. I bought a used 1972 and drove it to 1980. I loved it ! Grew up on the coast of North Carolina and enjoyed a helluva lot of beach days with it ! Sadly I sold it when I went to college. Still regretting it now !

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Very cool! These vehicles are incredibly expensive today.

[@michaelmartin2276]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Don't I know it !

[@nolarobert]

When I was in high school (early 80s) my best friend and I would take his father's 1st Gen Bronco up to the lake. The Bronco wasn't too bad on the paved roads going up to the lake but once we went off-road that sucker would bust my kidneys from the rough ride. Thanks to that experience I don't have a fond nostalgia for the 1st Gen Bronco. It had a basic interior, it was loud, and like I said, it rode rough.

[@thebionicbassplayer]

Excellent documentary. I believe SUV's became the bigger seller in the U.S. because automakers began to market them more because they make more profit off them.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks you and there is no doubt they make more $ off the SUV's but if the demand wasn't there they wouldn't make them. Thanks for sharing!

[@thebionicbassplayer]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Your welcome and to your point, manufacturers have always made SUV's, but they were a much smaller segment of the market. To me, the AMC Eagle was one of the first vehicles that showed a car and SUV like ride could be combined. Thus, it was one of the first crossovers.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@thebionicbassplayer I would have to agree with you on the Eagle. They were never really that popular but neither was any of the AMC's. I have owned a few over the years and never had any issues with those cars.

[@ernielaw]

I believe the first generation Bronco existed from "66 to '77 there replaced by a bigger Bronco in '78. The Bronco II of the 1980s was back to the original size.

[@howebrad4601]

Suvs are practical. Tow, yes, 4wd, yes, carry people, yes, roomy, yes, luxury, yes. Basically they are the do everything vehicle. Crossovers are essentially tall station wagons without the wagon stigma. There are just lots of advantages and few disadvantages. People used tk buy wagons for these same reasons, but cafe standards made the cars get smaller and less capable to tow, etc so those people switched to pickups and suvs.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for your comment and sharing your experiences. I respectfully disagree. I find SUV's to be good for 4x4 traction, and towing and not much else. I see them as the swiss army knife of vehicles. They are marginally ok for most other uses but excel at none of them. A luxury car would offer a much better ride, a sports car would offer better handling and performance, a truck or van could certainly haul more cargo. I believe wagons and minivans got labeled as uncool at some point and the SUV's picked up the market share. SUV's have certainly gotten better overall meaning more car like in recent years but I still don't see them as a good replacement.

[@Wooley689]

So they went from concept to production pretty quick. The carb design intrigues me.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Pretty much!

[@darylthomas4676]

I liked the first smaller Bronco but when it went to the full size model i thought man, one day i'll own of them! I've owned alot of vehicles in my day but never had the chance to own a Bronco. Not gonna lie Tony, i do have a SUV in my line up and i love it. I think it's just like what everyone else is saying, it is the new gen station wagon. Great vid and great t-shirt!💪

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for the kind words and for watching Daryl! The SUV is the most popular vehicle in America far and away. It's also very different from where it started.

[@job1bf]

the dominance of the SUV is because most Americans don't want a van & but actually want a wagon - they just don't want it called a wagon. SUV's of today are nothing more than tall wagons....

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I can't say I disagree. I think a lot of people prefer to sit up higher not realizing there's a comprise in regards to handling when you do buy a vehicle like that.

[@robertamoyaw8812]

People think "Safety First" , hence SUVs

[@robertamoyaw8812]

Who designed the original Bronco? I think whoever did , did a great job. I would like to know if there were any other ford models designed by the same designer. Thank you

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@robertamoyaw8812 The SUV's are no safer than a car or a wagon. In fact they have a much higher roll over ratio when compared to cars (that has gone down quite a bit in the last ten years) so in sense they are less safe.

[@robertamoyaw8812]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs I drove a Ford Explorer for a year n I felt so much safer til my wife put me back into my Volvo station wagon n impounded my Explorer. She never gave it back 😞

[@paulyokoyama7162]

I think that one car gets the craze going. Like Ford did with the original Mustang in 1965 to get the sporty coupe craze started, they did the same with the original Explorer. After the Explorer, everyone wanted an SUV and all the other car companies came out with similar vehicles. They all fell in love with the off road poser look. It's just a fad like the sporty and luxury coupes were.

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

I built the Revell 1/25 scale 73 Bronco model kit about a year back.. came out rather decently I think...

[@timgenz2849]

Good info Tony

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ManuaLiberty]

Had been wondering if you were gonna do a deep dive into bronco’s, I was actually surprised to hear the ad call it a “4 wheel drive sports car” instead of something like “utility vehicle” or something along that line. Nice t-shirt btw 😎

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for watching Conner!

[@BrianChappie]

I think people like SUV's for several reasons, but here are two I can think of. 1. People like being up higher when they drive so they can see what's going on in front of them. 2. People don't like putting stuff in the trunk, like groceries.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for replying but when everyone is up high it ceases to be an advantage and i have always found thing stay put in a trunk and tend to roll around on the floor of an an SUV

[@thebionicbassplayer]

My theory why SUV's became dominant is because a conscious decision was made to market them more than cars because they were more profitable to build for automakers.

[@randybrown2262]

in 1976 and 1977 Ford made several improvements not mentioned, 31 spin axles, front disc brakes, big bearing rear 9 inch and other improvements.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank for bringing it up. I do the best I can cover what I can in a concise manner and still put out a factual video.

[@kc0lif]

small bronco become explorer larger bronco become expedition.

[@blue_lancer_es]

3:04 were they the first to coin the sport utility moniker?

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I'm not sure about that and will have to look into it. Thanks for pointing it out!

[@dindog22]

I wonder how many people opted for the post hole digger?

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I'm sure they sold a few. :)

[@oneninerniner3427]

I wonder, are the Bronco IIs making any kind of a comback?

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Boy I hope not. I have a script written about those that I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet. That vehicle had a design flaw. Ford engineers warned management it wasn't safe. That same management team took what was described as the least effective method but also the cheapest to correct it. Those changes fixed nothing. The Bronco II is a dark stain on Ford's history. That has all but been forgotten as the years passed by.

[@mrfiestas]

You negleted to mention the advent of disc brakes standard I think maybe mid 70's

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I do the best I can. Unfortunately once a video is posted you can't add to it. You can only cut out sections.

[@saleen367]

Todays SUV craze is an American identity issue IMO. No one wants to wear the moniker of driving a minivan or station wagon, although I'd love to find a mid to late 60's Fairlane/Torino/LTD wagon to cruise in. I also think owners have a preconceived notion that an SUV is safer than a car. I personally think everyone is being gaslit into buying them for various reasons. Americans are like sheep.

[@rreno496]

Soccer Moms! That's why.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I guess the Minivan is not considered as cool?

[@MsJamiewoods]

Why are so many SUVs sold today? Profits, profits, profits. I know this is the obvious, but Ford, GM and whatever name Chrysler goes by now, are in business to make money, and generate a return on investment to shareholders. SUVs represent more profits per vehicle than minivans. And today's SUVs get better fuel economy than the lead sled station wagons of the 60s and 70s. The domestic automakers have long said that when sales incentives such as cash back are applied to subcompact and compacts, just about every such vehicle rolling off the assembly line represents at best breaking even, or even a loss. Thus, the Big Three have largely conceded this segment to the Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia and Volkswagen. I recall reading circa 2000 that every Expedition and Excursion rolling off the Ford assembly line represented a profit of $15,000. And these SUVs weren't sitting unsold in a parking lot next to the assembly plant. The largely were already sold by the time the transport tractor-trailer pulled up at the dealership. I prefer compacts, and the last good domestic compact, IMO was the Saturn S series. GM killed that model around 2000. Thus, I consider vehicles like the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I can't say I disagree with anything you have said. Thanks for watching!

[@geraldscott4302]

There are actually VERY few actual SUVs made today. 99% of what many people refer to as SUVs are actually front wheel drive or all wheel drive (but NOT four wheel drive) unibody "crossovers" that are completely incapable of going off road.

[@242HP]

Here is my take on why SUVs have become so popular in the US as someone who grew up in the era of the station wagon. Station wagons, unfortunately, were seen as uncool. But call something a "sports utility vehicle", or "sports activity vehicle", and all of a sudden it is desirable. People want to think of themselves as being active and fit, even as the level of obese adults in the US is higher than ever before. Add to that the fact that most SUVs offer AWD or 4WD, versus the RWD wagons of old, and people have the belief that they are now safer in an SUV than they would be in a RWD or FWD vehicle.... even though that's not necessarily the case. I have never owned an AWD or 4WD vehicle myself, and I have literally been out driving in the snow in a FWD car and seen SUVs run off the side of the road. There's also the perception that you somehow get to see more or better due to the slight increase in height in an SUV than you would being in a car, but if everyone else around you is driving an SUV or a pickup truck, what are you going to see in front of you other than the tailgate of a pickup or the tinted back window of the SUV in front of you?

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I can't say I disagree. I think there was the Minivan craze in the middle and that the SUV's are considered cooler than the minivan. The Minivan displaces the Station Wagon, the SUV displaces the Minivan and unfortunately the car. I personally think a car is much cooler than most SUV's.

[@markcochran1140]

Why are SUVs so popular today? Because they are not a Mini Van.

[@Wooley689]

My understanding on why so many SUV type vehicles these days is because certain tax on trucks don't apply like a car. MFG's used the EPA regulations to get around it.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

The trucks were exempt from CAFE ratings back in the day. I'm not sure that's still the case. The SUV were titled as a car in most states. Things change and you could be correct now.

[@jimlafreeda43]

The SUV craze started after the OJ chase.... seriously think about it, everyone wanted one after that and the station wagon declined...... the White Ford OJ edition Bronco changed the automotive landscape.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I thank it started with the Jeeps and the Blazer in the early 80's. Ford was late to the party with the Bronco II. That was one to keep away from unless you never have to take a tight corner at speed.

[@mustangeroo]

Not many choices if you dont want an SUV. Even fewer if you want 5+ seats. I blame CAFE and profit margins.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Agreed I think you can put the blame it solely on profits. CAFE ratings are not helped by heavy square vehicles. We had cars in the 70's pushing 40 MPG. That size car today could be hit 60 MPG but it's profit margin would be slim.

[@mustangeroo]

I think these big SUVs have to meet the same (lower) standars as pickups. The efficiency standards for light vehicles are tough and getting tougher.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@mustangeroo That may be but if Ford were concerned about CAFE ratings they could build one car that got excellent gas mileage and offset the rest of the fleet.

[@waynefontaine5533]

My Dad passed a little over a year ago, and in addition to leaving me his '99 F350 7.3 Powerstroke 6spd CrewCab Longbox 4x4, he left me what he called his '73 50/50 Bar...if you remember what a 50/50 bar is congrats, you're old like me (50yrs), it's a two-tone orange and cream colored '73 Bronco Sport that was his baby, from the 347 stroker runnin a Holley 630 to the truck 4spd, Ford 9" and Dana 44 both Detroit Locked w/Henry floating axles and 4.88 gears, he loved this rig...it's a gas guzzling savage that I'm happy to say pisses off every climate change liberal punk who sees and hears me rumble by...👊🏻🤘🏻🇺🇸 #ProudUSArmyCmbtVt

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I lost my father a little over a year ago as well so I understand it's a rough go. It's nice that you have a couple of vehicles passed on to you so you keep him in your thoughts. Thank you for sharing your experience and enjoy those Fords.