“No roads at all? That’s Bronco country,” said Ford in advertisements for its first-generation Bronco. “From its heavy-duty front axle and exclusive Mono-Beam from suspension, the four-wheel drive Bronco is tough—durable—reliable.” Featured on AutoHunter is this 1973 Ford Bronco Custom SUV. It is being sold by a dealer in Sarasota, Florida, with the auction ending on Monday, October 27, 2025, at 12:45 p.m. (PDT).
Marti Auto Works of El Mirage, Arizona, has access to a wealth of knowledge about Ford vehicles. In fact, Marti holds the keys to the entire Ford Motor Company production database for vehicles built since the 1967 model year. There are over 120 million records on tap, and among them are the details on this 1973 Bronco. Following are some of the key highlights:
- Color code T: Candyapple Red
- C4: Ginger Ranger Bucket Seats
- 18J: 3.50 Conventional Rear Axle
- 76: Denver District Sales Office
Included with the build was a lengthy list of options, such as skid plates, power steering, mud tires, passenger side mirror, body side moldings, AM radio, extra-cooling radiator, heavy-duty battery, and auxiliary fuel tank. When the vehicle rolled out of the Michigan assembly plant on June 29, 1973, it was shipped to a dealer called Garnsey & Wheeler Co. in Greeley, Colorado.
Clearly, the original Candyapple Red exterior was changed to a light blue during restoration, but a lot of other upgrades took place at the same time. The SUV received a Wild Horses lifted suspension, Flowmaster exhaust system, and overhauled interior. The cabin has been redone with black vinyl TMI bucket seats, Tuffy lockable center console, tubular rollbar, wood-rimmed steering wheel, and custom Kenwood audio system.
Under the hood, power comes from an Edelbrock-carbureted 302ci V8 mated to a three-speed automatic transmission and dual-range transfer case.
The collector market for first-generation Broncos has been hot in recent years, with excellent examples regularly climbing into the six-figure price range. One of the driving factors for the increase was the reintroduction of the Bronco nameplate in 2021 after a 25-year hiatus.
Today, there are Bronco enthusiasts in every region of the country (and beyond). For example, in Arizona, there is a Facebook group called Arizona Classic Bronco Club with over 3,300 members. A restomod-style baby blue 1973 Bronco might be the best 4×4 to get you connected to the community and geared up for exhilarating off-road adventures.
The auction for this 1973 Ford Bronco ends Monday, October 27, 2025, at 12:45 p.m. (PDT).
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery
