09-02-2025
1976 Ford Bronco on BaT Is Exactly How You'd Want to Find One
The first-generation Bronco is so popular with resto-modders that you rarely find them as they actually were back in the day.
This 1976 Bronco is an exception, as it's largely original.
Equipped with a 302-cubic-inch V-8, a three-speed manual transmission, and four-wheel drive, it's spent time in New Mexico and Texas.
The modern Ford Bronco Raptor, with its bulging fender flares and 37-inch off-road tires, is as musclebound as a professional wrestler. It may be hugely capable, but it's also a long way from where the Bronco started out. The nameplate began with friendly little trucks like '76 Bronco, up for sale on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos) is the rare example today that hasn't been subject to some heavy-handed attempt at resto-modding. All original and with only a faint patina after its nearly 50 years of service, it's just as it was when it rolled out of the factory in 1976.
The first-generation Bronco debuted about 10 years prior as Ford's answer to the scrappy off-road success of the Jeep CJ-5 and the International Scout. You could get it as a roadster, a pickup, or a wagon, and with various engine offerings.
This is the wagon version and has the 302-cubic-inch V-8 under its hood, good for a modest 125 horsepower and 218 pound-feet of torque when new. It's paired with a three-speed manual transmission and a dual-range transfer case. Fifteen-inch steel wheels mounted with Goodyear Wrangler tires cover disc brakes up front and drums in back. Total mileage is 87K.
Finished in heat-repelling white on white, this Bronco is said to have spent most of its life in New Mexico and Texas, dry climates that have kept the corrosion at bay. There are a few paint chips, the odd ding, and the tell-tale stains caused by red Texas dirt. The slight wear just adds to the appeal.
You might not be jumping any dunes in a Bronco like this, but it's great as a characterful machine without pretense. The kind of thing to throw your fishing tackle in the back, then drive on down the trail to your favorite spot.
This auction ends on February 11.
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