WHAT DID THE FORD BRONCO SAY TO THE JEEP WRANGLER?
I began to suspect that America had a secret obsession with wild horses.
They were everywhere.
On highways, in neighbourhoods and outside supermarkets.
But these horses had four wheels, round eyes and a distinctly rugged attitude.
They were Ford Broncos!
Back home in India, Jeep is a familiar name.
The Wrangler, with its unmistakable rugged looks, is easy to recognise.
But the Bronco?
Almost unknown to me.
My automotive education, apparently, had a few gaps.
America was filling them, one highway at a time.
Naturally, I began imagining what this wild horse might say to its better-known rival.
Source courtesy: Seth Wadley Ford of Ada / Ford Bronco vs. Jeep Wrangler: Which Off-Road SUV Is Superior
The Jeep had earned its reputation during World War II.
The Bronco arrived in 1966, with Ford cheekily nicknaming its development project G.O.A.T.—“Goes Over All Terrain.”
Quite a confident introduction!
The original Bronco Roadster came without doors or a roof, and its windshield folded flat onto the bonnet.
The Wrangler could do much the same.
I imagined the Bronco saying, “You’re not the only one who enjoys fresh air!”
Then I discovered its racing credentials.
Big Oly, a specially modified Bronco driven by Parnelli Jones, won the Baja 1000.
A gruelling thousand-mile off-road race through Mexico in 1971 and 1972.
https://silodrome.com/big-oly-ford-bronco/
The Bronco disappeared in 1996, only to gallop back in 2021 after 25 years.
More than 150,000 reservations arrived in its first three weeks.
“Where have you been?” the Wrangler might ask.
“Making an entrance!” the Bronco would reply.
My online exploration revealed another delightful detail.
The Bronco even has its own version of Jeep’s “Duck Duck Jeep” tradition.
Bronco fans can buy miniature horses and “You’ve Been Bucked” tags.
Jeep owners leave rubber ducks on fellow Jeeps.
Bronco owners leave toy horses on fellow Broncos.
A Jeep gets a duck.
A Bronco gets a horse.
The automotive wildlife department seems to be operating quite efficiently!
Perhaps Ford got the name just right.
The Bronco may have traded its hooves for tyres, but it clearly hasn’t lost its wild spirit… or its ability to make people smile.
And I, the tourist who barely knew it existed, had become rather fond of this American wild horse.
Some vehicles take you places.
Others make you dream of places you haven’t been.
