Vehicle Description
The booming market for early Ford Broncos broke out of the corral
years ago.� But there are still exceptional examples to be found,
including this completely restored 1966 Ford Bronco U13 Roadster.�
Ford introduced the Bronco as an All-Purpose Vehicle.� The Bronco
came as a complete surprise to most, announced on August 11, 1965
ready to appear in dealer showrooms in early September as a 1966
model.� Ford General Manager Donald Frey described the new Bronco
as a combination of both a car and truck "for men and women who
seek adventure as well as practical transportation".� The Bronco
was designed to go nearly anywhere and do nearly anything.�
Clearly, Ford Motor Company had Jeep in their crosshairs.� Maybe
the most surprising part of the Bronco lineup as we know it today,
though, was the Bronco U13 Roadster.� This Bronco was the most
Jeep-like of all, with cut-outs for doors to ease entry and exit, a
windshield that folded flat and a canvas-backed vinyl top and doors
that came only as options.� Other new Bronco models provided
conventional doors and hardtops. Viewed from the perspective of
fifty years, the Bronco Roadster looks even more Jeep-like.� Flat
metal panels and exposed overlapping seams are shamelessly visible
both in the interior and under the hood.� The exposed metal floor
is painted body color and the dashboard is also plain painted
metal.� Warn hubs in the center of the front wheels require the
driver to jump down to the ground and turn the hubs manually before
pressing a ridiculously tall black shift lever into high or low
4-wheel drive ranges.� Body-colored fiberglass door inserts were
the only concession to refinement.� Anyone who has ever driven a
Jeep CJ will even recognize some of the switchgear and the pedal
placement.� The standard engine was a 105 horsepower 170 c.i.
straight-six, with the small 289 V-8 (later 302) as an option.
Magazine covers and feature stories invariably featured the open
Bronco Roadster.� But the Bronco U13 Roadster was in production
only from 1966-1968, and surprisingly accounted for fewer than
5,000 vehicles out of a total first-generation Bronco production of
225,585 ending in 1977. This 1966 Ford Bronco U13 Roadster has been
fully restored to very high standards. It is correct to factory
specification and finished in the correct 1966-only color of
Caribbean Turquoise with white trim.� Other correct cosmetic
details of note include the gray painted metal dashboard,
square-end white painted bumpers and painted left outside rear view
mirror.� Mechanically, the 170 c.i. six-cylinder engine is equipped
with a three-speed manual transmission mounted on the column and
Dana 20 transfer case.� Optional factory equipment on this
outstanding example begins with the distinctive seating.� A front
bench seat for three was standard on the first Broncos, finished in
black vinyl.� Options included selection of a single left-hand
bucket seat, left- and right-hand bucket seats and a rear bench
seat, all with seat belts, covered in silver vinyl that was also a
one-year option.� The matching padded sun visors coordinate with
the seats.� A one-piece rubber floor mat covers only the area ahead
of the front seats and is embossed with the Bronco logo.� Other
options found here include a switch for emergency flasher lights,
heater and defroster controls, and a modern but period looking
radio flanking the black two-spoke steering wheel on the austere
dashboard.� Visible from the exterior are also the inside tailgate
mounted spare tire, chrome wheel covers and correct optional white
side accent stripes that bear a close family resemblance to the
Mustang GT's rocker stripes.� Modern BF Goodrich T/A tires are
mounted on the 15-inch wheels, the single concession to modern
driving. The engine compartment is beautifully detailed and
correct.� The stark engine compartment is correctly painted in body
color.� The engine is painted in correct Ford blue and equipped
with the oil bath-style air cleaner that is specific to the
earliest Broncos.� All hoses, fittings and belts appear as new, of
course, as does the battery.� A correct FoMoCo windshield washer
bag hangs on front fender housing provided added authenticity. This
phenomenal 1966 Ford Bronco U13 Roadster is a virtual time
traveler, a correct benchmark vehicle and a certain winner wherever
it might be shown.� Bronco owners and collectors are a varied and
enthusiastic group.� A Bronco Register and a myriad of clubs
provide information, support and competition in many areas of the
country.� And, guess what?� With all the significant automotive
anniversaries being celebrated, 2016 is also the 50th Anniversary
of the Ford Bronco.� This is one of the finest examples available.