Book editor discovers a true one off while researching for an upcoming book. A 1969 Boss Bronco prototype made for Ford by Kar-Kraft as a proof of concept.
Treasure Hunt
Wes Eisenschenk is an editor at CarTech, which recently published the new book, "Kar-Kraft: Race Cars, Prototypes and Muscle Cars of Ford’s Special Vehicles Activity Program", by Charlie Henry. While doing research for the book, Wes came across the VIN for the only Boss Bronco in existence.
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Boss Bronco
Wes had trouble believing what he saw when he Googled the identification number in 2016 and found a long-lost 1969 Ford prototype.
“There it was, the missing 1969 Ford Boss Bronco prototype, in an expired eBay listing.”
"A Boss Bronco?" you ask? Yes, Ford through its Kar-Kraft group (think muscle-car era SVT Division), had a prototype high-performance Boss Bronco built in 1969.
The Bronco was built to prove the concept of a production high-performance Bronco for Ford President Bunkie Knudsen, who was largely responsible for Ford’s Boss Mustang program of 1969-1971.
The Kar-Kraft team started with a 1969 Bronco Sport finished in Empire yellow, (which just happened to be Knudsen’s favorite color). Hey, all's fair when trying to get your prototype greenlit by the Boss!
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The Heart of the Beast
This one of a kind Bronco gets its power through a 1969 Shelby GT-350 210-S-code 351 four-barrel Windsor engine. A high-performance C4 automatic transmission was installed which gives this Bronco the distinction of being the first automatic Bronco in existence. 4.11 limited slip gears front and rear rounds out the performance modifications.
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Interior
Inside, the team swapped in a Stroppe padded steering wheel and Stroppe rollbar, and a Mustang shifter was installed for the C4 transmission.
Rounding out the interior was custom upholstered panels and aluminum trim to finish the inside of the rear quarter-panels and tailgate for a more upscale look.
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Exterior
On the outside, the rear wheel wells were cut and Stroppe fender flares installed to provide tire clearance. A Cougar Eliminator hood scoop was bolted onto the hood, and finally, black hockey-stick stripes with special BOSS BRONCO lettering were applied.
The finished product was rather sporty looking, but it could certainly "walk the walk" as well.
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So What Happened?
Despite how awesome the truck was, fate had other plans. Lee Iacocca famously fired Knudsen before the production Boss Bronco could get off the ground.
Kar-Kraft was supposed to crush the one and only prototype, but somehow it escaped. How? No one knows. However, it is suspected that it was simply sold to an employee when Kar-Kraft was liquidated in1970. Wes just happened to be the lucky man to find the Boss Bronco four decades later. With the eBay auction expired the truck was sold outside of eBay. Wes searched and found the buyer up in Washington State, who then agreed to sell the Bronco for a nice profit.
He then posted a picture of the prototype on an Internet forum looking for even more info on it. That’s when Colin Comer saw it.
>>Join the conversation about the Boss Bronco right here in the forum.
Enter Colin Comer
Colin Comer is the owner/proprietor of Colin’s Classic Automobiles out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is a Ford and Shelby authority. He and Wes had worked together in the past, which is how they became friends.
“As soon as I saw Wes’s post on the Boss Bronco, I immediately emailed him and said I had to have it," Colin said. “I had no idea the Boss Bronco had survived. To me, it is one of the ultimate early Broncos. I didn’t get much sleep until I convinced my buddy Wes to sell it to me! I had to sell my Holman-Moody-built 1969 Bronco to help fund the Boss, but I have no regrets.”
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Onto the Future
The Boss Bronco which now sees frequent use by Colin has already added a few thousand miles to its odometer. He believes it’s a shame the Boss Bronco never made it to production, as it “would have been a big hit” in 1969, “much like the Ford Raptor is today.”
Fortunately, the Boss Bronco received a new lease on life and broke cover before the new Bronco comes out in 2020. Heres to hoping Ford rights a past wrong, and make a new Boss Bronco or Raptor Bronco.
>>Join the conversation about the Boss Bronco right here in the forum.
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