Since Ford isn’t going to build a new Bronco any time soon, if you want one, you have to buy one of the originals. If you want to get a truly original Bronco, you have to pick up one of the first-generation models.
Luckily, two of them will be for sale at Dana Mecum’s 28th Original Spring Classic 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Ford dealer and collector Rick Baker will be putting his Blue Oval collection of nearly 30 vehicles on the block for the event, which takes place May 12-17.
One of them will be a Skylight Blue 1966 Bronco U140 Half Cab Pickup that was frame-off restored 10 years ago. It features a white removable hardtop and a three-speed manual gearbox hooked up to a 170 cubic-inch I6.
Another 1966 Bronco will be available, too. Back in the day, it was modified for hardcore off-roading by KbarS Bronco Specialties for Dirt Devil Magazine. The supplier fitted the SUV with “cut-out doors, dual shocks, lift kit, fender flares, pre-runner bumpers and roll cage, dual fuel tanks, a bed-mounted tire carrier and lockouts.”
Under the hood, there’s the familiar 170 cubic-inch I6. However, it features an upgraded cam, intake, head, and exhaust header. That engine’s connected to a three-speed manual transmission with a Hurst shifter.
Rick Baker will also be selling a pair of F100s (a frame-off restored ’53 and an award-winning ’67), a flare-side short-bed 1985 F150, and several cars, including a loaded 2005 Ford GT with only 310 miles on it and several Mustangs – Shelby, Boss, and Mach 1.
See all of the Rick Baker vehicles that will be heading to auction in May by clicking the Mecum Auctions link below.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
