Of the three, Ford鈥檚 Falcon was by far the most successful because Ford correctly predicted what the market wanted 鈥� a plain-Jane, simple appliance type car. It handily outsold Chevrolet鈥� s Volkswagen-inspired, rear-engine, air-cooled Corvair and Chrysler鈥檚 鈥淓uropean-styled鈥� Valiant.
Ford followed this by showing the way again in 1964 with its spectacularly successful Mustang, a car so popular it created a new class of automobile called the Pony Car. It took GM almost three years to respond.
And Ford was prescient with its four-wheel drive sport-utility vehicle too. SUVs were a niche market but Ford noted the increasing popularity of the Jeep, the grand-daddy of SUVs. Others now on the scene were Britain鈥檚 Land Rover, International Harvester鈥檚 Scout and Toyota鈥檚 Land Cruiser.
Ford anticipated that rising affluence and leisure would increase demand for off-road vehicles for recreational use. And it predicted this broader market would also want improved comfort and convenience.
That was the genesis of the Ford Bronco. Ford engineers kept the size of its body-on-frame, half-ton Bronco in the middle of聽the pack. Its 2337 mm wheelbase fell between the Jeep CJ鈥檚 2057 mm and the Scout鈥檚 2540 mm.
And while competitors came with two- or four-wheel drive, Ford believed any aspiring off-roader should have four-wheel drive, so all Broncos came with 4wd. It could also be driven in two-wheel drive mode.
For a ride and handling advantage Ford gave the Bronco coil spring front suspension, although still with a solid axle, while its sport utility competitors all had leaf springs in front. The rear springs were the traditional semi-elliptic type with solid axles.
Front wheel driving and braking forces were taken by two sturdy radius arms extending rearward from the tubular axle and anchored to the frame鈥檚 midship cross member, concentrating the forces in the centre of the vehicle. A track bar controlled lateral axle movement.
Further refinement and power came by fitting a six-cylinder engine that was smoother and more powerful than the fours in the Jeep, Scout and Land Rover. The seven-main-bearing, 2.8 litre inline, overhead valve six evolved from the Falcon鈥� s original 2.4 litre engine and produced 105 horsepower compared with the Scout鈥檚 93 and the Jeep鈥檚 75. Ford鈥檚 4.7 litre V-8 would become optional a聽few months after introduction.
Among Ford鈥� s moderations for off-road use were a larger oil sump, oil bath air cleaner, heavy-duty fuel pump and second fuel tank. A skid plate was optional.
The transmission was an all-synchromesh, column-shifted three-speed manual. Behind this was a two-speed transfer case controlled by a floor-mounted shift lever for selecting low or high range or engaging four-wheel drive. Limited slip differentials were optional both front and rear, the only one in the class to offer them. Tires were 815 x 15.
The Bronco arrived as a 1966 model with three body types: a聽basic roadster without a roof or聽side curtains, although a vinyl top was optional; a pickup version that was like the roadster with a shorter cab and roll-up windows; and a station wagon with a full-length metal roof. The roadster was the least popular and would be discontinued in 1968, as was the folding windshield.
Many utility options were available for those planning agricultural or other heavy-duty or off-road activities. These included front and rear power take-offs, a聽snowplough, tow bar and hooks and a winch. A real throwback was a hand throttle on the instrument panel.
The six cylinder Bronco鈥檚 performance was adequate. Car Life (4/66) recorded zero to 97 km/h in聽22.6 seconds and top speed of 119 km/h.
The Bronco鈥檚 popularity enticed new competitors in the form of the 1969 truck-based Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Jimmy. Ford dropped the pickup version in 1972, leaving only the wagon. A 3.3 litre six became the聽base engine in 1973, followed by a V-8 in 1975.
The first generation Bronco continued until 1977 when most SUVs were beginning to bulk up. Although the Jeep CJ stayed with聽its traditional size, Ford saw聽the trend to bigger SUVs and聽replaced the Bronco with a聽larger 1978 version based on聽the聽Ford F-series pickup.
Ford had been almost clairvoyant in anticipating the rising popularity and convenience features of four-wheel drive sport-utility vehicles. Although that original Bronco looks small and unimposing beside later huskier models, it聽served its purpose by launching Ford into the popular and lucrative sport utility field.