About 50 years separate these two Ford Bronco family members.
Nick Miotke / Roadshow
In case you couldn’t tell, we are pretty excited about the 2021 Ford Bronco (and his younger brother, the Bronco Sport) We have already seen How it compares to the Jeep WranglerBut we also ask ourselves, how does it compare to the original?
The first Bronco came off the assembly line as a 1966 model and remained fairly stable until the second-generation model appeared in 1977. This article talks about the 1971 Bronco pickup we recently saw on a Ford-sponsored show, and what Compare with The new Badlands two-door model.
See this:
Ford Bronco 2021 is armed and ready to go jeep hunting
7:21
External dimensions
When we look at the overall size, it’s kind of ridiculous how much the Bronco has grown. While the old two-door came in with a total length of 152.1 inches and had a wheelbase of only 92 inches, the 2021 Bronco Badlands trim is 174.8 inches long with a wheelbase of 100.4 inches. The new Bronco is also wider and taller.
Exterior dimensions
| 1971 Bronco Collection | 2021 Bronco 2-Door | |
| Length |
152.1 in |
174.8 in |
| Distance between axis |
92.0 in |
100.4 in |
| Width |
68.8 in |
76.3 in |
| Height |
68.9 in |
73.8 in |
| Track (front / rear) |
57.4 in |
65.0 in |
2021 Ford Bronco 2-Door appears to be an off-road warrior
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Off-road geometry
Approach, breakout, and departure angles are crucial to a vehicle’s off-road capability. The greater the angle, the more obstacles the vehicle can overcome. These numbers assume the largest tires you can get from the factory for both models. Not surprisingly, with its smaller proportions, the 1971 Bronco had great geometry and was probably similar to driving a mountain goat. The older Bronco had a bit of a rear overhang that hindered its starting angle, but still gave some solid numbers.
Out of the way specs
| 1971 Bronco Collection | 2021 Bronco 2-door | |
| Floor clarity |
13.3 in |
11.6 in |
| Approach angle |
45.0 degrees |
43.2 degrees |
| Break angle |
31.2 degrees |
29.0 degrees |
| Output angle |
34.0 degrees |
37.2 degrees |
Engines
It’s safe to say that manufacturers have come a long way in the past 50 years or so. The 1971 Bronco had a standard 170-cubic-inch, 2.8-liter six-cylinder engine that produced 105 horsepower. That year, an optional 4.9-liter, 302-cubic-inch V8 was new, at just over 200 hp. Both were mated to a three-wheel manual transmission in the tree.
Meanwhile, the Bronco 2021 has a standard 2.3-liter EcoBoost I4 engine good for 270 hp with a 7-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission. The optional 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 with 310 hp is only available with the 10-speed automatic transmission.
Base motor specifications
| 1971 Bronco Collection | 2021 Bronco 2-door | |
| Motor |
2.8 liters I6 |
2.3 liter turbo I4 |
| Power |
105 hp |
270 hp |
| Torque |
158 lb-ft |
310 lb-ft |
| Transmission (s) |
3-speed manual |
7-speed manual |
|
10-speed automatic |
Optional motor specifications
| 1971 Bronco Collection | 2021 Bronco 2-door | |
| Motor |
V8 4.9 liters |
2.7-liter V6 biturbo |
| Power |
210 hp (max) |
310 hp |
| Torque |
300 lb-ft |
400 lb-ft |
| Transmission |
3-speed manual |
10-speed automatic |
