How much is a first-generation Ford Bronco worth in 2026?

Don't buy somebody else's project on a first-gen Bronco. I've seen more half-finished 1966–1977 Broncos than I care to count — lifted and re-bodied, mystery engines, frame repairs hidden under undercoating, and borrowed parts from three different years. Either buy a finished Bronco or buy a clean rust-free example and build it yourself. The middle ground costs you twice, every time.

Body Styles and Year Groups

The first-gen Bronco offered three body styles in its first three model years (1966–1968): the half-cab pickup, the roadster (no doors, no roof), and the wagon. The roadster ended after 1968 and the half-cab after 1972, leaving only the wagon from 1973 on, which makes the open roadster the rarest and most collectible body style. The wagon represents the vast majority of first-gen Broncos produced across the full 1966–1977 run. Early wagons (1966–1968) command higher values than mid-run (1969–1972) and later (1973–1977) examples, with the 1973 federally mandated bumper changes marking the cosmetic dividing line most collectors recognize.

Frame and Body Inspection

The frame and the cab are non-negotiable. The first-gen Bronco's body-on-frame construction means that rust in the frame rails directly affects structural integrity. Look at the front frame rails behind the bumper, the crossmembers, and the rocker panels where they meet the floor. Cab corners are the consistent rust point — correct steel repair is expensive, and a Bronco with fiberglass or filler in the cab corners is a project car, not a finished truck.

"The first-gen Bronco is the truck that Ford got exactly right the first time. Short wheelbase, solid axles front and rear, an engine bay that fits anything you want to put in it. Buy the cleanest, most original example you can afford. Every dollar you spend on a straight cab and a solid frame is money you'll get back."

— Robert Halloran