Bronco Cryptozoology #30: The Right-Hand Drive Bronco

Cryptozoology is the study of mythical creatures that may or may not exist.

This applies to Broncos how? Well, there is a lot of mystery and myths surrounding certain Bronco models and specialty-built Broncos.

So, this new segment at the blog will focus on these prototypes, one of a kind, special editions and the most historical Broncos ever built.

To keep the posts short, we will include only a brief story of each

We will try to separate fact from fiction and possibly come up with more questions than answers.

At first, I was going to compile this into one post, but it got waaay too long.

Today we look for the elusive Right-Hand Drive Bronco.

Between 1966 and 1977 model years there were 225,797 Broncos built, but how many of them were exported? And of those, how many were exported to countries that drive on the wrong, I mean left side of the road and right err passenger side of the car?

Obviously, most of the British territories drive from the right side of the car including England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Bahamas and the Falkland's. Then there is Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Pakistan and most of south and southeast Africa.

The map below shows it pretty clearly.....

We know the Bronco was never exported to Australia, at least not on a large scale. There may have been isolated instances.

Some have even gone through the trouble of importing American cars down under, and then converting them to right-hand drive, here is a 64-66 Mustang that was converted

There are also conversions like this one that some rural mail carriers have done

Occasionally you stumble across pictures that appear to be of a right-hand drive Bronco, then after closer inspection you realize that the negative is reversed.

Or this Baja Bronco.....look at the lettering on the fender and the tires...

Converting a Bronco to right-hand drive would be more daunting than most would suspect. You would have to find a steering box to work, which an old Lincoln or F-series 2WD box would work (they mount to the inside of the frame on left-hand drive, so they would mount to the outside on right-hand drive.

Then there is the shifter linkage, manual transmission would obviously be much more difficult, and a r-h drive bellhousing would have to be sourced, but there is more.....

On the Bronco the motor is shifted to the right of center an inch or two, this makes room for clutch and shifter linkage. The room would still need to be there as the linkage would still hook up on the left side, but now you need to get the linkage to connect from the right-side drivers compartment to the left side of the transmission.

Here is a photo of a 1966 right hand drive Bronco, supposedly from the Ford Archives. Upon closer inspection you will notice the gas pedal is on the wrong side, another reversed photo......

I did find this picture of a right-hand drive Bronco in Thailand, you can see the Ford letters read correctly and the license plate holes are in the proper place on the grill so this is not a case of a reversed negative.

This Bronco was found for sale in Indonesia, it is right hand drive and not a reversed photo (the lettering on the tires is correct).

We do know that there were some exported to South Africa, the Bronco below is said to be one of those. Check out the wiper direction (opposite of normal) and also take note of the European style blinker lenses.

note the wipers face the opposite way when at rest

I think the picture of the South African Bronco proves that there are Broncos that were built for right-hand drive, the question remains though, was it Ford or someone else that modified them?

Please comment if you have any information regarding this mystery.