They say those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Equally true when it comes to the automotive world is "what's old is new again." When it comes to how an automaker powers, positions, and even updates any given model, it's is often determined by what was done in the past. That's bound to be especially true with the new 2021 Ford Bronco—a vehicle that already leans heavily on the heritage of the original with similar styling and a shared mission. So what can we expect from future versions of the sixth-generation Bronco? Taking a look at the history of the Ford Bronco line could reveal some secrets.

The original Ford Bronco only stuck around for 12 years, but it's presence undoubtably overshadows the succeeding generations. In a lot of ways the indirect successor to the World War II-era Ford GPW—the Blue Oval's license-built version of the Willys MB Jeep—the 1965 Ford Bronco was designed to complement the then-new Ford Mustang as a fun, youth-friendly off-roader.

Ford also had Jeep square in its sights in designing and engineering the Bronco. Like the Jeep CJ-5 of the time, the Bronco was small—its wheelbase is about the same length as a modern Mini Cooper Hardtop—and designed with simple flat surfaces that were both cheap to manufacture and easy to keep protected from rocks. The Bronco was offered up in three body styles: the "Wagon," which was a two-door with a removable hardtop (a feature we expect the 2021 Bronco to have), a "Roadster," which came roofless and with inserts instead of doors (much like the contemporary CJ-5), and as a "Sports Utility Pickup", better known as the "half-cab," which did away with the two-person rear bench seat of the roadster and hardtop in favor of a mini pickup bed. The Roadster would last until just 1968, making it a particularly rare vehicle. The Bronco half-cab would stick around until 1973, leaving the popular wagon as the only body style for the remainder of the first-gen Bronco's life.

At launch, the Bronco was powered by Ford's venerable 105-hp 2.8-liter I-6, paired with a three-speed manual transmission and four-wheel drive. A 4.7-liter V-8 producing 200 hp found its way under the Bronco's stubby little hood in 1966 before being replaced by a bigger 4.9-liter V-8 in 1968. In 1973, the base I-6 was replaced by a 3.3-liter I-6, and a three-speed automatic joined the fold.

According to FourWheeler, a total of 225,585 first-generation Broncos were built between 1965 and 1977 when production ended. Of those, 203,544 were Wagons, 17,262 Sports-Utility Pickups, and 5,000 Roadsters.

1978-1979 Ford Bronco: Short and Sweet

The '70s were all about saving money for America's automakers. After watching GM print money with its new Chevrolet K5 Blazer—essentially a shortened Chevrolet C/K pickup with a removable hardtop—Ford looked at its F-100 and decided that it'd be far easier to cut it down to size than engineer a unique platform for the second-gen Bronco. Although the Arab oil embargo curtailed Ford's plans to offer up a four-door Bronco (and reportedly delayed the Bronco launch from 1974 to 1978), the upsized two-door Bronco with its removable hardtop would prove to be pretty popular during its two-year life cycle.

To close out the '70s, the second-gen Bronco had a V-8-only engine lineup. Its base engine was a big 5.8-liter V-8 wheezing out 135 hp, while the upgrade option was a 6.6-liter V-8 with 149 hp. I know it's easy to pick on Malaise era vehicles, but that is an impressively low amount of horsepower to get from such a remarkably large engine. It's apples to Skittles, but a modern base Ford EcoSport makes 123 hp from its 1.0-liter turbocharged I-3.

Ford offered two transmission options on the '78 and '79 Broncos—a four-speed manual and an optional four-speed auto. A full-time four-wheel drive system was available with the automatic transmission.



1980-1986 Ford Bronco: The Third Generation

All outward appearances would suggest that the third-generation Bronco was little more than a restyle of the F-100-based second-gen, but the changes were far more expansive than that. With the goal of making the Bronco better to drive both on road and off the road, Ford made the third-generation Bronco lighter than the 1978-1979 Bronco and ditched the solid front axle in favor of an independent front suspension system—a real rarity in the day.

Although the F-100-based Bronco was available in just one body style—a two door with a removable rear hardtop—Ford did expand powertrain options for 1980. Once again, an inline-6—this time a 4.9-liter unit with 115 hp—was standard, while the previous-generation Bronco's 5.8-liter V-8 carried over, getting a minor horsepower bump to 150 hp in 1982. Toward the end of the third-gen Bronco's life, it got an upgraded 5.8-liter V-8 with 210 hp, as well as a new 4.9-liter V-8 (though badged as a 5.0-liter) with electric fuel injection and 190 hp.

A handful of transmissions were offered on the third-gen Bronco—including three-different four-speed manuals, a three-speed automatic, and a four-speed automatic with overdrive. The third-gen Bronco also got an upgraded four-wheel drive system versus the previous generation.

Much like how the current 2021 Ford Bronco gets a little brother in the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, the third-gen Bronco had a sibling as well. The Ford Ranger-based Ford Bronco II debuted in 1984 and would stay in production through 1990. About the same size as the first-gen Bronco, the Bronco II was designed to compete with the now-legendary XJ Jeep Cherokee, and the Chevy S-10 Blazer.

1987-1991 Ford Bronco: Minor Tweaks

The '87-'91 Bronco is considered to be the fourth generation of the off-roader, but as updates go, it was pretty minor. The biggest change, visually, was to the Bronco's nose—which now matched the eighth-generation Ford F-150—and an updated cabin.

The previous generation Bronco's 4.9-liter I-6, 4.9-liter V-8, and 5.8-liter V-8 got some minor updates losing their carburetors for fuel injection, while transmissions were updated to add a five-speed manual and a new four-speed automatic. The biggest mechanical change was the addition of an electric shift four-wheel drive system.

End of the line: 1992-1996 Ford Bronco

The death knell for the Ford Bronco rang in 1990 when the 1991 Ford Explorerwent into production. Splitting the difference size-wise between the Bronco and Bronco II—and available in two- and four-door forms—the Explorer was incredibly popular with both off-road enthusiasts and families alike. As such, the fifth-generation Bronco, when it debuted in 1991, was a bit of a dinosaur, especially considering not much had significantly changed since 1980.

Updated cosmetically with the F-150's new bodywork, the Bronco was initially launched with carryover powertrains, dropping the 4.9-liter I-6 for the 1993 model year. Transmissions included two different four-speed automatics, and a five-speed manual. The Bronco's hardtop was still technically removable—as had been the case for all Broncos that had come before it—but, for safety reasons, Ford reportedly made it more difficult for the final '92 through '96 Broncos by integrating the rear seatbelts and third brake light into the roof, and by changing the type of bolts used to hold the top into place.

The final Bronco rolled off the production line in 1996 as the Ford Expeditionwent into production. With the Explorer and Explorer Sport below it, and the Expedition above it, the Bronco had run its course.

The sixth-generation 2021 Ford Bronco and 2021 Ford Bronco Sport are slated to debut on July 13, 2020. Stay tuned.

AUTHOR: Christian Seabaugh. Jul 9, 2020