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.
If you were not aware there is an off-road rally in Europe that rivals the Baja/Mexican 1000 race.
It is called the Paris-Dakar Rally and begins in Paris, France and ends in Dakar, Senegal, thus the name.
The race ran officially for the first time in 1978, but unofficial, unsanctioned races had been run in the years prior.
After Ford embarrassed Ferrari at LeMans in the mid-late sixties, Ford decided to turn its attention to other forms of racing.
In April of 1976 it was announced that a rally would be held in Northern Africa. This was not the first race to be held in Africa, there had been an Algiers to Cape Town race known as the Mediterranean Rally as well as races that ran from coast to coast in northern Africa.
Ford of England wanted to enter the up-coming rally and asked their Detroit brethren to build them a vehicle capable of not just surviving the race but dominating it.
Ford tapped Jimco Racing, the legendary San Diego off-road racing shop.
Jimco was provided with a low milage 1976 Bronco that a Ford dealer had to buy back due to its inability to pass the smog test in LA County.
A lot had been learned about suspension technology since the early days of Baja and Jimco had learned it all through trial and error.
They replaced the front axle with a custom-built 3/4-ton Dana 44 and installed a Dana 60 in the rear, both with 8-lug hubs.
The front suspension used a 3-link system with long travel coil over shocks originally built for a Chenowth race buggy. The rear used custom long trailing arms with shorter coil overs and set of progressive bump stops.
For the motor Jimco went to the NASCAR team of Holman and Moody, they prepped a 400hp 351 Windsor based small block.
The transmission was a Ford four speed toploader, chosen for its durability and simplicity.
Because it was the 10th Anniversary of the Gulf GT-40's win at Le Mans, Ford asked Gulf to sponsor the team and they tentatively agreed.
Other sponsors like BF Goodrich joined in, supplying the team with one of the first sets of their ever-popular Mud-Terrain T/A radial tires. This tire was not even available to the public for another year or two.
Once completed, the Bronco was painted in Gulf Powder Blue with Marigold Orange trim.
Gulf ultimately declined the offer to sponsor the race effort, but due to time constraints the paint was left as is sans the Gulf logos.
The team consisted of driver Rene Metge of France and British racing pioneer Sterling Moss, both of which were known for Formula One but also had some experience in rally type racing.
The rally was delayed several times due to sandstorms and was eventually started on December 26th, 1978.
The Bronco dominated the desert, covering the 6,200 miles faster than all others in its class. The only vehicle to best the Bronco was a Yamaha motorcycle piloted by Frenchman Cyril Neveu.
It was the first and only time an American vehicle won the rally.
The Bronco has since been restored and resides at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
Nah, just kidding, this Bronco was built by Galpin Ford in Los Angeles and is known as the Heritage Bronco. It was given the Gulf livery as a tribute to the Le Mans team and the #66 for the year the Bronco was introduced.
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