The second-gen Bronco, codenamed 'Project Shorthorn,' was supposed to launch in 1974 — the 1973 oil crisis scared Ford into a four-year delay.
Median 89 hp across 20 similar cars
Lead trim: 400 V8 (156 hp, 1979) · up to 158 hp
Ford Bronco second generation1978–1979
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Ford Bronco second generation yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe second-gen Bronco, codenamed 'Project Shorthorn,' was supposed to launch in 1974 — the 1973 oil crisis scared Ford into a four-year delay.
A ground-up change: for 1978 the Bronco entered the full-size SUV segment to compete with the Chevrolet K5 Blazer, Dodge Ramcharger and Jeep Cherokee, adapted directly from the F-Series as a shortened F-100 4x4 (a wheelbase 12 inches longer, about 28 inches longer overall, 11 inches wider and 4 inches taller than the 1977 car, and 1,100 to 1,600 lb heavier). Codenamed "Project Shorthorn" and postponed from 1974 by the 1973 fuel crisis, it was released for sale only after its 1980 successor's development was nearly finalised. A three-door wagon with a lift-off rear hardtop, with 351M or 400 V8 power and a catalytic converter from 1979.
Collectors Spotted in the Ford Bronco Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Ford Bronco yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
4 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 351M V8 (156 hp, 1978) | 1978–1978 | 5.8 L V8 | 156 hp | 262 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 351M V8 (158 hp, 1979) | 1979–1979 | 5.8 L V8 | 158 hp | 262 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 400 V8 (156 hp, 1979) | 1979–1979 | 6.6 L V8 | 156 hp | 277 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 400 V8 (158 hp, 1978) | 1978–1978 | 6.6 L V8 | 158 hp | 277 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
An estimate, for the 351M V8 (156 hp, 1978) trim: fuel on its EPA figure and a dated national price, upkeep on a per-mile average for the kind of car it is.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
The Bronco Raptor is the middle child of Ford's Raptor family — it followed the F-150 Raptor onto the badge, with a Ranger Raptor arriving after it.
Ford's big reveal event for this Bronco landed on July 9 — O.J. Simpson's birthday — a coincidence nobody at Ford planned for a truck name forever linked to his white Bronco chase.
In 1996 this Bronco became the first Ford with turn signals built into its side mirrors, then Ford killed it.
Twenty-five years in, the Bronco finally got leather: the 1991 Silver Anniversary Edition's gray leather interior was the first time Ford had ever offered leather seats in a Bronco.
Ford's first attempt at a lighter third-gen Bronco frame — stamped with weight-saving holes — proved too weak and was scrapped after just two model years.
The second-gen Bronco, codenamed 'Project Shorthorn,' was supposed to launch in 1974 — the 1973 oil crisis scared Ford into a four-year delay.
The first Bronco's optional wheel covers weren't bespoke — Ford just reused the ones from the 1966 Galaxie sedan.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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