The new Bronco returns after 25 years, and the first one sold at Barrett-Jackson with proceeds going to charity.
Ford faces overwhelming demand for the return of its iconic Bronco after a 25-year hiatus, but there’s been one huge question since Barrett-Jackson announced it would auction the very first production model: What will VIN 001 rake in? For a bit of perspective, the “normal” Bronco First Edition kicked off at $57,410 in two-door guise before it inevitably sold out on Ford’s website. This first model, as it happens, sold for nearly twenty times that amount. When it crossed the block Saturday night, this car sold for $1,075,000.
It wasn’t the largest earner from “Super Saturday” — that would be Carroll Shelby’s personal 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake, which sold for a whopping $5.5 million. Another charity auction for the 2022 GMC Hummer EV also brought in $2.5 million. Still, we expected the very first Bronco to bring in at least a few hundred thousand, and the final result sailed right past that expectation.
Money from the sale goes to two charitable organizations, each promoting the very sort of wilderness into which Ford hopes most Bronco owners will take their beloved SUVs. The National Forest Foundation is one of the recipients, with a mission to promote the health and public enjoyment of national forests. The other is Outward Bound, a program aimed to engage students of all ages and promote character development both in the classroom and eventually out in the larger world. Both of the charities are supported by Ford’s Bronco Wild Fund.
The new Bronco should actually hit the streets within the next few months, so we’ll actually get to see more of these Wrangler fighters in person. Stay tuned for more updates there!
