When I see a copy of the “aero sculpted” last generation of the F150-based Ford Bronco, especially when it is dressed in white with the XLT Package, I instantly think of the NFL star turned real-life courtroom murder case defendant OJ “The Juice” Simpson.
June 17, 1994 Chase, Image from the web
In the mid-1990s I was working at my Dad’s used car dealer and car wash. We probably had many of these big late 90s truck-sized Ford SUV’s come through the wash bay. I cannot ever recall having any on the lot for sale. Still, my memory of watching the Al Cowlings’ white Ford Bronco driven by OJ Simpson in a slow-motion police chase on the 405 near Los Angeles, CA being replayed many times on the local, national, and cable news outlets of the time is somehow indelibly tied to any somewhat well-preserved white late 90’s Ford Bronco that I witness in real life.
For the example showcased here, it is not famous for any chases that I am aware of. It has a fresh Pennsylvania inspection (11/25) at a local Ford specialist’s shop. It also seems to be used and has not seen the full-scale ravages of RUST.
In the later years of the last generation’s production, Ford changed the bolts that secure the removable roof to security-type torx head screws to thwart vehicle owners from removing the roof, rendering the shoulder belts and 3rd brake light inoperable. Ford also retracted any wording and advertisements about the roof being removable. It still was removable of course, just not legally, and no longer advertised as a vehicle with a removable roof.
This example is a 4wd model with manual locking front hubs.
The only appreciable amount of rust on this example was located behind the left front mud flap. The bottom of the tailgate looked solid, many of these in my area were Swiss cheese by 2006.
This XLT has power locks, power windows, a power rear window(which may have been standard fair by this generation), and an outside spare tire mount.
A charcoal grey interior with bucket seats and a center console reminds me of my long-gone 1977 Dodge Ramcharger Special Edition with a factory 440.
The Transfer case drive modes must be activated electronically as I cannot locate a transfer case stick coming up through the transmission tunnel as I am used to seeing on many Jeeps and Dodges of the era.
This late 90’s Ford has a Driver’s Airbag only – It seems there was no passenger airbag for the last edition of the Bronco before its initial and unbroken 30-year production run ended (1966-1996).
While the first generation borrowed many parts from the Ford Mustang, this generation shared heavily with the Ford F-150 and has done so since 1978.
Since I cannot pinpoint exactly what year this truck is, (I guess I could have thoroughly researched the VIN but did not think to take a VIN picture) it could have the 300CI Inline 6, the 302 V8, or the 351 V8.
My guess would be the 351, but of course, that is just a guess. When the OBD II integration was adopted the inline 6 was no longer offered in the Bronco. I highly doubt this truck has the 300 CI inline 6 as that would typically have been reserved for a lower-trimmed truck.
1992-1996 production totaled 162,703 units from the Wayne, Michigan Assembly plant. It is of course refreshing to see one of these capable old urban SUVs that has not been turned into a mud machine or rock crawler.
Other than the Brush Guard and the Bug-Flector, this example looks amazingly stock and well preserved. Not a museum-quality piece, but just a good, used, and appreciated American truck back from an era when the American car companies still made affordable small cars too!
Related CC reading:
CC Capsule: Ford Bronco XLT – Al Cowlins Called, He Wants His Truck Back
CC Capsule: 1982 Ford Bronco XLT Lariat – To The Manure Born
We are getting to the point that the mention of “OJ” is meaningless to a large percentage of the population anymore. Ditto the chuckles over a white second(?) generation Bronco.
Thank God. The only thing I find more repugnant than the celebrity of OJ Simpson is the mention of anybody with the last name of Kardashian.
Wishful thinking. Any millennial or gen Zer who is into cars refers to this generation as OJ Broncos, for myself I was like 5 when the low speed chase happened, everybody in eyeshot of a TV that day has memories of it and it’s notoriety has immortalized it. These Broncos will always be associated with OJ as much as 60s Continentals are associated with JFK.
I mean I roll my eyes whenever Baby Boomers talk to each other about where they were when they saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan, yet because the culture echoed the cliche generational touchstone incessantly it’s become immortal. I was born a quarter century after that and I don’t even like the Beatles to care yet “ladies and gentlemen, The Beatles” is imprinted in my mind as much as anyone who actually lived it. The OJ Simpson murders will be no different, for better or worse it’s part of the culture.
I always liked this generation Bronco, the first iteration of aero nose that was applied was crude and blocky, but the 92-96 front end managed to make it’s old 1980 body look remarkably fresh. This applies to the F series line as a whole not just the Bronco but apparently it was cool enough for not one but two NFL players to buy before the truly decadent days of Escalades became the norm… course we all know what happened there.
On that note it is interesting how white actually seems to be one of the rarer colors on the “OJ” Broncos, outside of its claim to fame, the primary colors I think of these in are green red blue gold et al. White I hardly ever see, even in the 90s when I was an avid car spotting kid. It’s kind of like Vanishing Point, the Challenger’s greatest claim to fame, and it’s Alpine white paint was seemingly most uncommon color and trim combination.