We typically think of Ford's Bronco as a distinctly American machine, but at least one has lived its entire life on foreign soil.
English Transplant
When we think of the iconic Ford Bronco, we imagine a distinctly American product. And that's pretty much true, as you rarely see any Bronco rolling across foreign soil. So when we spotted this super clean '78 crossing the block at Silverstone Auctions in the U.K. we were obviously intrigued to hear its story. Luckily, it's got a good one to tell.
Photos: Silverstone Auctions
New Citizen
Turns out, this particular Bronco was built and then shipped to England on April 20, 1978. The entity that went through all that trouble to bring it across the pond was, it turns out, none other than Ford U.K. The big second-gen Bronco then enjoyed a few years living at the automaker's Dunton Technical Center in Essex.
Photos: Silverstone Auctions
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Going Private
The Bronco stayed at Dunton all the way until 1991 when it was registered to Ford New Holland Ltd. in nearby Basildon. It remained in their possession for another seven years, before the Bronco was sold to an ex-Ford employee. Thus, this rig managed to stick around for 20 years before it was ever registered to a private owner.
Photos: Silverstone Auctions
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Emotional Connection
According to the auction listing, all of this history is well documented with a host of paperwork. Prior to the sale, the Bronco was in the possession of a Brit who reportedly has a passion for collecting American cars. Turns out, that same person has an emotional connection to the Blue Oval as well.
Photos: Silverstone Auctions
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Blue Oval Blood
“My mother and I used to work at the Ford Motor Company in Dunton," the seller told Silverstone. "The signatures in the documentation are of men who were colleagues of my mom and they worked in research and design in her department under her boss, my mom was the secretary.”
Photos: Silverstone Auctions
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Certified Low Miles
As for the Bronco itself, we weren't surprised to learn that it remains in stellar shape after all these years. It has been restored, however, a process that began with Ford and ended with the seller. Still, it sports only 33,750 documented miles on the odometer, which isn't a surprise for a manufacturer-owned mule.
Photos: Silverstone Auctions
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Stored Away
The Bronco was sold with a ton of documentation, including everything from MOTs (Ministry of Transport test) to invoices, brochures, registration paperwork, and manuals. Reportedly, the Bronco sat in dry storage from 1996 to 2019, which helps explain its low mileage and stellar condition at least in part.
Photos: Silverstone Auctions
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Fine Fettle
The interior sports a mixture of leather and vinyl, while the exterior was resprayed in a period-correct shade of silver. Black aftermarket wheels and BFGoodrich rubber aren't original either but look great on this example. The Bronco also still packs its original 351 Cleveland V8 and manual transmission.
Photos: Silverstone Auctions
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Solid Buy
Apparently, there aren't many Broncos that were registered in the U.K. when they were new, for obvious reasons. Importing something like this is, after all, not an easy or cheap process. Combine that with this Bronco's deep Ford lineage, and we were somewhat surprised that it only sold for roughly $36k U.S. But we're betting the new owner is more than pleased with their rare purchase!
Photos: Silverstone Auctions
>>Join the conversation about this 1978 Bronco right here in the Ford Trucks Forum!
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