A few years ago we started experiencing a proper resurrection of old SUVs. It seems like car lovers all over the world want more and more of the good old SUV icons on the road. Considering that trend, we believe that in the near future every four-wheel drive that looks stocky is going to sell like hotcakes. However, we must say that a few years back we wouldn’t have even considered the idea of the Ford Bronco II becoming popular. Like, ever. But let’s ponder that possibility a little bit.
Southern California – the place where you’ll find a lot of used vehicles that are also overpriced. They have the first-gen Ford Broncos, all Toyota Land Cruisers, and old Land Rovers Series. And the prices are exuberant. But, Jeeps are luckily still affordable when compared to these. That’s probably due to the quantity they have been built in. K5 Chevy is also really expensive, and Scouts are just too bad, they are even being overlooked by the car collectors. Range Rover Classics are available at a reasonable price. But you’ll have to dig deep to find them.
As most of the vintage trucks are hard to find and generally rare, it is normal that their prices are spiking. Classics such as Jeep Cherokee XJ and OJ Simpson’s Bronco are really picking up the pace when it comes to the price increase. But let’s get back to Ford.
Early Fords are extremely expensive. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that. Large ‘full-size’ ’70s Broncos are about to become quite pricey too. They have some features that classify them as ‘classics’ nowadays.
Another Ford that is picking up steam quickly is the one most people know from the famous OJ Simpson 1994 police chase. This Bronco owes OJ a lot for its popularity but is also quite well-known for its off-road abilities.
Baja 1000 was held last week, and there were at least 15 or 20 Broncos specially modified for desert terrain. Of course, there were even more hardcore desert drivers around them. And it is easy to see why this vehicle is so popular with those that are into desert racing. It has a strong frame, V8 engine and a relatively short wheelbase.
But there wasn’t a single Bronco II. That’s what’s really peculiar.
We thought that maybe the Bronco II was too shitty to survive or too worthless to be preserved. But, when we searched the web we found some interesting results. We expected dozens of these available for $500 or $2,000 tops. That wasn’t the case. The cheapest one was available for $5,000. And there were some examples in mint condition, perfectly preserved!
We found a ’88 Ford Bronco II in mint condition for $8,500, but it has probably been sold by now.
To be honest, as we were searching for the Bronco IIs we kind of realized that these small SUVs look really awesome.
Years ago I thought that these Broncos, especially the Bronco II, were only good for destroying and rotting. However, as the popularity of the classic 4x4s undoubtedly rises and the Ford Bronco nameplate is about to get the lead-up to and release of the 2024 model, we really think that these little oldies are about to get immensely popular.
So what do you think? Would you buy a Bronco if you had some spare cash? Or maybe you are an admirer and believe that Broncos are pure gold? Let us know what you make of this in the comments section below!
