How did we get the Bronco? or The History of the SUV

Why did Ford build the Bronco? Beyond the obvious answer that they wanted to make money there are more explanations as to why built it and why they built it the way they did.

The Bronco was not the first SUV, although it was and is again a very popular one.

We should start by defining what a Sport Utility Vehicle is. One of the most important attributes is the size, an SUV must be able to carry additional passengers beyond the front seat. The SUV must also be an off-road capable vehicle. 2-wheel drive station wagons are not SUVs.

Many will tell you that the International Scout is the 1st SUV, but that is not true, we will get to that in a minute.

While the military Jeep and its civilian brethren did not start out as SUVs per se, they are, however where our story starts. 

The Jeep concept dates back to 1940 when the U.S. Army put out an RFQ for a 4-wheel drive "reconnaissance vehicle".  Several companies including Willy's Overland and Ford Motor Company submitted designs.

A company by the name of Bantam had a design that won the contract, but there was a problem. Bantam didn't have the manufacturing capability or experience, so Willy's Overland and Ford built them (Ford built a little less than 1/2 the Jeeps). They did request that the new vehicles resemble the Ford concept (called the GPW).

After the war Willy's discovered the returning GIs wanted to buy a Jeep like they used in the war. So Willy's introduced the "Civilian Jeep", the CJ-2A in 1945 and soon got feedback. These GIs were starting families and they wanted the Jeep's capability with more room and comfort.

In 1946 Willy's introduced the "station wagon", a new concept. Originally in 2-wheel drive, a 4-wheel drive model was added in 1949 and thus the Sport Utility Vehicle was born. 

It was larger than a CJ Jeep, but still small enough to fit down tight trails or in supermarket parking stalls. It could carry cargo yet had a full-length roof and was 4-wheel drive.

During this time, Jeep also introduced a 2-wheel drive convertible wagon, known as the Jeepster and a pick-up. Take note of this, it is important to the story later.

Meanwhile in England, Land Rover was introduced in 1948. While primitive it did come with options like a full cab metal top or canvas pickup or wagon tops

Someone at International Harvester was paying attention.

In 1960 International Harvester, a tractor company, introduced the Scout 80 sport utility vehicle. There should be no doubt that the Bronco was designed as a direct competitor to the Scout. Beyond the similar size and look, there were other semblances. 

When introduced the Scout came in three models, a full top wagon, a 1/2 cab pickup, a convertible wagon and a topless roadster. This combined the attributes of the Willy's Wagon, Pick-up and Roadster models into one vehicle. Which made it cheaper to produce.

Jeep did the same when they introduced the Jeepster Commando in 1966.

The Scout 80 came with removable doors & hardtops along with a fold down windshield (any of this remind you of a Bronco?). It is no surprise that the classic Bronco and the Scout 80 are often confused by the uninitiated. 

While the Scout 80 was a great vehicle and tough to boot, it didn't quite catch on. Customers wanted more comfort.

Dearborn was also watching and planning. Circa 1963 Ford sent out questionnaires to more than 300 4-wheel drive clubs, specifically targeting Scout and Willy's wagon owners asking them, what they would change about their SUVs.

The list of desires included:

• Tighter turning radius
• Better seats
• Increased highway speeds
• Smoother ride
• Watertight cabins
• Availability of upgrade parts

While Scout had bottled some magic, they had left out some key components. Remember Women were joining the workforce in the 1960s and driving more than ever. Their wants and needs now played a factor in vehicle buying decisions. 

For those that don't know, the Mustang, introduced in 1964, was originally targeted at working women.

International fixed some of these issues with the introduction of the Scout 800 in 1965 and more so with the Scout II, introduced in 1971. One might wonder if a copy of that questionnaires results found its way to International.

Ford obviously copied much of the Scout's design, but what did they change?

The Scout 80 was small, but it had a 100" wheelbase and with its low to the ground stance, meant that it high centered easier than a Jeep CJ would with its 81" wheelbase.  The 81" wheelbase however, sacrifices passenger and cargo space. The Land Rover seamed to cover these bases better with its 90" wheelbase.

Ford knew the "sweet spot" was somewhere in 90" neighborhood and chose the 92" wheelbase for the Bronco.

When it came to running gear, Ford already had a bullet proof rear end in the Ford 9", it has since become the standard for racing. 

When it came to the front axle, Ford's timing was perfect. 

Spicer was just about to introduce the Dana 30 front end, which was an open knuckle and beefed-up version of the Dana 27 used in Jeeps and Scouts. Due to the open knuckle design, the Dana 30 offered a tighter turning than its predecessors. 

In addition, the Dana 30 in the Bronco would come equipped with free-wheeling hubs, which reduced road noise, increased fuel economy and saved wear on parts when driving in 2WD. Both the Jeep and Scout switched to the Dana 30 in the years that followed.

The axle choices also allowed for higher gear ratios, which equaled faster highway speeds with less motor and gear noise. Remember that Ford had lots of experience with building cars for the highway. Willy's and International both lacked this experience.

During the early 60's Ford had been developing a new "Mono-Beam" coil spring front suspension for the Bronco and 1/2-ton F-series trucks. The coil springs gave a better ride, had more travel and provided the drivers with a much tighter turning radius.

Ford also placed the running gear high in the chassis, they addressed the steep driveline angles by using double cardan (CV Joints) on the transfer case ends of the drivelines.

In addition to all of this, Ford used the same motors and transmissions that were already used in their cars. This meant that performance and aftermarket upgrades were already available. 

These explain how Ford made the Bronco better than its competitors, but why did they want to build a better SUV?

Ford was very much in tune with brand loyalty. Many consumers in those days were loyal to brands that treated them well. Ford used the word "family" in their advertising, calling their offerings "The Ford Family of Fine Cars". They even stamped this tag line on the keys.

As families grew and women entered the workforce the need for a second vehicle meant an opportunity for Ford to build a vehicle that was more than just a car.  A vehicle that could serve the family both during the work week and for outings on weekends.

Ford did not want their loyal customers to have to buy a Jeep or Scout when they needed that second car. They of course also hoped to capture new customers.

This last motivation I think sums it up pretty well, Ford wanted to keep Ford customers all Ford, thus they needed to fill the gaps in the product line with cars and trucks that people wanted.