Ford Bronco: A History of Ford's Legendary 4x4. Todd Zuercher

Sport package.

       One of the key pieces on the prototype Bronco that helps identify it in various advertising photos in subsequent years is the full length rocker trim. Where production pieces ended short of the fender openings, the prototype piece extended to the edge of the fender opening.

      The Bronco’s flanks carry two items of interest: the rocker panel and beltline trim. The beltline trim wasn’t available on 1966 Broncos, but it was part of the 1967 Sport package, lending credence to the theory of this being a Sport package development prototype. The rocker panel trim is more interesting, as it resembles the rocker panel trim found on Sport Broncos, but with one notable difference: it covers the entire length of the rockers between the front and rear fender openings. The production trim stopped several inches short of the fender openings on either end.

      Marketing materials from 1967 and later have revealed a number of photos that featured this truck; the rocker panel trim and the 289 emblem location on the front fender were dead giveaways. Thanks to the magic of airbrushing and other touchups in the pre-Photoshop area, photos of the truck were found in Ford marketing materials as late as 1974. Various holes in the body show that it wore a full hardtop, softtop , and fiberglass door inserts in addition to the current half cab.

       The cobbled-together hood release along with the prototype Sport grille lettering is visible here. The hood-release lever is a crude two-piece affair that doesn’t have a latch extending past the grille-like production pieces. The letters were borrowed from the Ford car parts bin.

       The prototype Sport portion of the Bronco emblem was also a one-off piece. The emblem is a separate piece from the “B” in the Bronco script and there are separations between the stanchions at the top of the emblem. On the production piece, the Sport badge is part of the emblem casting; no separations at the top of the emblem.

       One of the key identifying factors on this truck that confirms it to be the 289 prototype rig is this passenger-side fresh-air inlet box. As shown in the period photo with Ford executive Don Frey, this box is a rough fiberglass unit with molded-in hardware cloth as a screen. Production pieces were plastic.

      A few other oddities also reside inside the cab, including missing locks on the doors and glove box, 1967 horn button, 1967 Sport bucket seats with chrome trim, and an early 1966 transfer case shifter modified to resemble a late 1966/early 1967 shifter.

      There will likely continue to be other oddities and unusual features discovered on this truck as Burgett and the crew at Gateway Bronco continue to peel back the layers of the onion and discover exactly what they have on their hands.

       This small fabric tab snap hiding beneath the drip rail of the half cab top on the prototype Bronco hints at the numerous configurations of this truck. This truck saw use as a roadster, sports utility (half cab), and wagon by Ford. (Photo Courtesy Tim Hulick)

       DUNE BUSTER

      As part of the introduction of the Bronco in 1966, Ford debuted its Bronco show truck, known as Dune Buster in auto shows around the country beginning in November 1965. It was designed in Ford’s Styling Center in Dearborn, with customization work by Barris Customs of North Hollywood, California.

      Many exterior and interior modifications were made to a Bronco roadster to give it a unique look inside and out. The exterior color was Golden Saddle Pearl, and it covered a custom roll bar approved by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) with integral headrests behind the front seats. The windshield frame featured a custom, bright-metal frame with rounded corners. The rear flanks were covered by a wood-grain applique, and chrome exhaust side pipes ran along the rocker panels. A race-style fuel filler replaced the stock cap, and the Bronco emblems were moved from the front fenders to the rear corners of the rear quarter panels.

      Customized fiberglass half doors filled the door openings. Riders climbed into the truck via custom inset steps above the aluminum heat shielding behind the exhaust pipes.

      Wheels were custom-machined steel alloy units with knock-off hubs.

      In front, the hood had a scoop, and the front and rear bumpers had rubber bumpers to help keep dents and dings to a minimum.

      Inside, Dune Buster retained its column shifter, but the steering wheel was replaced with a walnut-rimmed model. The seats were upholstered in suede and perforated leather on the cushions and seatbacks. The instrument panel was also trimmed with suede and the stock plastic control knobs were jettisoned for walnut versions that matched the steering wheel. A tonneau cover appeared over the rear compartment. The sides of the bed were topped with a stainless steel rail.

      Dune Buster disappeared from public view after 1966, only to emerge again on the show circuit in the fall of 1970 and renamed Wildflower. Although obviously the same truck, the pearl paint from five years prior had been replaced with a paint scheme highlighted by a “psychedelic design of blues, yellow, and reds topped off by a pink grille.” The upholstery was changed to match this era-correct paint scheme, and the beige carpet was changed out for red carpet.

      After the second round of auto shows, the Dune Buster/Wildfl ower Bronco disappeared for good, and its whereabouts remain a mystery to this day. During our 2007 conversation, George Barris remembered building the Bronco but had no idea what happened to it.

       Two young models show off Dune Buster, a Ford styling exercise executed by famed car customer George Barris in Hollywood, California. Dune Buster featured a host of custom features that played well on the 1966 auto show circuit. (Photo Courtesy Ford Motor Company)