Rave reviews welcomed the introduction of the Ford Bronco in the '60s, and it is still getting the same today due to the red-hot status vintage models have in the market for classic cars. The Bronco is a Ford line of utility vehicles and has seen six-generation model lines, with a 25 years hiatus between the 5th and 6th generation models.
The Ford Bronco was the initiative of the man known for the Ford Mustang creation, Donald N. Frey, a Ford Product Manager. It was approved for production by Lee Iacocca in 1965, and it hit the market in 1966. The intent behind Ford’s introduction of the Sports Utility Vehicle was to have a unique compact off-road vehicle that had its own chassis. They did achieve that with the Bronco; a mean-looking, simple yet aggressively-styled car with a first-of-its-kind Ford chassis and a body on frame construction. The base price for the utility car was $2,195 at its introduction.
The First Generation Ford Bronco had cars like the Jeep CJ-5 and International Harvester Scout as its main competitors. At introduction, the car was offered in a single trim, but in 1967, a new Sport option was introduced.
Let's tell you more about this iconic Ford truck with a major focus on the 1968 model and what it'll cost to acquire one today.
Here’s What You Should Know About The 1968 Ford Bronco
The 1968 Ford Bronco is a classic four-wheel-drive Sports Utility Vehicle, and it belongs to the First-Generation of the Ford Bronco. Like its predecessors, it is offered in three body configurations; a 3-door SUV, 2-door pickup, or 0-door roadster.
It is a 4WD Sports Utility Vehicle, and it was fitted with a 105-hp inline six-engine with the option of the 200hp-V8 engine, which was introduced as an option in 1967 but became one of the standard engines in the early '70s when Ford noticed that more power is needed under the hood for the car to compete better against its competitors in its segment. To stay true to its simple-design trend for the Bronco, a three-speed column-shifted manual transmission was introduced, and an option of a 3-speed automatic transmission was made available.
In 1968, 16,629 units of the Ford Bronco were produced, which was considerably higher than the 14,230 produced in 1967, but was way lower than the 23,776 rolled out in 1966, the year the Ford Bronco was introduced. The vehicle also sports an automatic suspension, a power steering wheel, and brakes.
The model's interior was designed to provide ample space for occupants, thereby increasing comfort. Because of the model’s simplistic style cues; the large frontal grille, flat body line with straight C-section bumper with symmetrical door skin, became an iconic symbol in the automobile industry. Perhaps, this is why it is more desired among millennials. Considering the demands for classic cars in the automobile industry, younger buyers seem to be attracted to this iconic Ford.
Dissecting The Transition Of The Ford Bronco
In 1978, the second generation Bronco arrived after a little delay in its release, giving a distinct style, unlike the preceding generation. Although the car retained its four-wheel drive, it was only made available in a three-door configuration. This generation ditched the Bronco's unique chassis, and Ford adopted the F-Series chassis for the Bronco. It got a more powerful 5.8-Liter and 6.6-Liter V8 engines, generating 156 and 158 horsepower, respectively. Radio and air-conditioning were also added to the interiors in this generation
The second-generation Ford Bronco was a greater success in the market, overtaking its major competitors, including the Jeep Cherokee.
In 1982, another model of the Ford Bronco got into the market. However, it was less expensive than its predecessor. This generation was shorter, lighter, and faster than the preceding generation and saw the introduction of the Ford Bronco II, a compact SUV based on the chassis of the Ranger Pickup Truck. Five years later, the fourth-generation Bronco was introduced into the market. This newly launched design looked similar to the eight-generation F-series trucks. Notable styling changes accompanied this new generation, including better performing aerodynamics and a modern interior. The fourth-generation Bronco soon replaced the three-speed cars existing in the '80s. In 1992, the fifth generation arrived in the automobile market with obvious improvements making it more preferred over the fourth generation.
How Much Does The 1968 Ford Bronco Cost Today?
While we cannot accurately predict the cost of the 1968 Ford Bronco today due to some underlying factors that dictate the price of classic vintage cars, it is possible to get the price range for the car using data from auction houses. According to Sports Market, the price range of the 1968 Ford Bronco falls between $35,000 to $40,000 range.
Car auction companies like Barrett-Jackson, Mecum, Manheim have different price ranges for the 1968 Bronco. In Jan 2022, Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale sold a custom 1968 Ford Bronco SUV for $258,500, one of the highest recorded prices for a Ford Bronco.
Surprisingly, Barrett-Jackson sold another modified 1968 Bronco for $195,250 during an online auction in July 2020. There has been a resurging demand for the 1st generation Ford Bronco for a couple of years. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough Broncos to meet the demand of these enthusiastic buyers. Hence, the price of the Ford Broncos might remain premium with a rising value.