CC Capsule: 1977 Ford Bronco – End of the Line, But Still Tough as Nails

77FordBronco1jg

Have you ever experienced this? You catch the tiniest detail of a vehicle out of the corner of your eye, and instantly you know just what kind of car or truck it is. That’s what happened to me as I cruised through Bloomington, Indiana, one day. My peripheral vision caught four letters barely visible through a row of bushes: FORD. I immediately started looking for a way to get around to the other side of those bushes, because I knew those letters were attached to a first-generation Ford Bronco.

77FordBronco2jg

I was amply rewarded for finding my way around to that Bronco, as it appeared to be in all-original condition, save that aftermarket soft top. But dig those unmolested rear wheel arches! And that light patina on the hood! I was double jazzed to see that fuel-filler door, because it told me that this Bronco was from 1977. Previous Broncos had an exposed gas cap. The first-gen Bronco didn’t change much from year to year, so to figure out when one was made you really have to know your details.

77FordBronco3jg

Things look pretty original inside, too. I was surprised to find an automatic transmission here.

77FordBronco4jg

This was the original Bronco’s swan song; in 1978, the Bronco would ride on a shortened F-150 chassis. That had been the direction SUVs had been going since 1969, thanks to Chevy’s brilliant K/5 Blazer, and Ford would finally catch up.

Read the complete first-gen Bronco CC here and the second-gen Bronco CC here. And check out a heavily modded ’72 Bronco here.