Tag Archives: Ford

Auctions

This 1966 Ford Bronco Was Built to Fly Over Sand, Not Crawl Over Rocks

Classic Ford Broncos are everywhere right now. They’re being reborn as six-figure restomods, lifted into Instagram-ready off-roaders, and polished into weekend cruisers that will never see a dirt road. But this 1966 example doesn’t care about any of that. It was never meant to crawl over boulders or idle through Cars and Coffee. This Bronco was built for one thing: going as fast as possible in a straight line across loose sand—and it looks like it still wants to do exactly that.

What makes this truck especially fascinating is that it didn’t start life as a normal Bronco at all. This was a pre-production model, later handed over to off-road legends Charlie Erickson and Bill Stroppe in the mid-1960s. Their goal wasn’t refinement or utility—it was domination. The result was a one-off sand drag racer that competed in desert events at a time when off-road racing was still being invented on the fly.

The first rule of racing is simple: add power and remove weight. This Bronco did both. Anything that didn’t make it faster was stripped off. Doors? Gone. Windows? Useless. Comfort? A luxury for people who aren’t trying to win. What remains is a skeletal, purposeful machine that looks more like a homemade missile than a vintage SUV.

Power comes from Ford’s humble 170-cubic-inch inline-six, but don’t let the displacement fool you. This one is force-fed by a Paxton supercharger and breathes through dual Stromberg two-barrel carburetors sitting on a custom intake manifold. Add revised intake and exhaust lobes, and you’ve got a recipe for a six-cylinder that’s working far harder than Ford ever intended. No one seems to know the exact output—and that somehow makes it even better. It’s paired with a modified three-speed manual, because of course it is.

The Bronco was fully restored in 2011, and Mecum notes that while its wild appearance was preserved, everything underneath was gone through properly. The suspension was revised, traction bars were added, and both axles now feature limited-slip differentials. Heavy-duty front shocks and custom 15-inch wheels help keep it pointed in the right direction, wrapped in Goodyear tires with hand-cut grooves specifically designed for sand.

And then there’s the braking system—or rather, the lack of one. In a move that perfectly captures the spirit of this machine, the front brakes were deleted entirely to save weight. In sand drag racing, slowing down is someone else’s problem. Preferably after the finish line. Hopefully on flat ground.

Inside, the Bronco is just as uncompromising. There’s a single bucket seat, a steering wheel, and a handful of gauges mounted into a wooden dash. That’s it. No insulation. No trim. No creature comforts of any kind. There aren’t even doors or windows, so driving it is less like piloting a truck and more like strapping yourself to a mechanical projectile. A helmet and goggles wouldn’t be overkill—they’d be smart.

Mecum will auction this Bronco on March 21, though no estimate has been released yet. Whatever it sells for, it won’t just be another classic SUV with a shiny paint job. It’s a rolling artifact from the wild early days of off-road racing, when builders made things up as they went along and weight reduction meant simply unbolting anything that looked unnecessary.

If you’re the kind of enthusiast who thinks doors, windows, and front brakes are optional, this Bronco isn’t just appealing—it’s perfect.

Source: Mecum Auctions

News

Ford Explorer and Capri Gain More Power, More Range, and a Better Battery

Ford’s European EV lineup just received the kind of mid-cycle glow-up enthusiasts usually have to beg for—and it happened at the bottom of the price ladder. The rear-wheel-drive, Standard Range versions of the electric Explorer and Capri have quietly become much more compelling, thanks to a new battery chemistry, a stronger motor, and a big leap in real-world usability.

The headline change is under the floor. Out goes the 52-kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) pack, replaced by a 58-kWh (net) lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery. LFP chemistry is cheaper, more thermally stable, and—crucially for everyday drivers—far happier being charged to 100 percent on a regular basis. That means owners can actually use the whole battery without guilt, a big deal in the real world.

Ford didn’t just bolt in a bigger battery and call it a day. The rear electric motor has also been upgraded, jumping from 125 kW (168 hp) to 140 kW (190 hp), while torque climbs from 310 to 350 Nm. The result is a modest but welcome performance bump: 0–100 km/h now takes 8.0 seconds instead of 8.7. No, it won’t pin you to the seat like a Mustang Mach-E GT, but in the compact-SUV EV class, every tenth of a second counts.

Where this update really pays off is in range. The Explorer Standard Range now stretches to a WLTP-rated 444 km on a charge, up from as little as 352 km before. The sleeker Capri does even better, topping out at 464 km versus its previous 370–393 km rating. That’s not a tweak—that’s a fundamental upgrade in how far these cars can go between plugs.

Ford also claims energy consumption has dropped by about 1 kWh per 100 km, a small number that adds up over thousands of kilometers. Combined with the LFP pack’s ability to live comfortably at full charge, these EVs suddenly look far more road-trip-friendly than their spec sheets used to suggest.

There is one trade-off. Maximum DC fast-charging power falls from 145 kW to 110 kW. On paper, that looks like a step backward, but in practice it barely matters. Ford says a 10-to-80 percent charge still takes about 28 minutes, and the Explorer can now add roughly 11 km of range per minute at peak charging speed. In other words, you’ll still have time for a coffee and a bathroom break—just not two.

The best part? In Austria, at least, prices stay exactly where they were. Orders are already open, and first deliveries start in April.

For buyers eyeing Ford’s most affordable electric SUVs, this update changes the math in a big way. More power, dramatically more range, better everyday charging behavior, and no price hike? That’s the kind of upgrade cycle the rest of the EV industry should be paying attention to. And for a brand that’s still figuring out how to win over mainstream electric buyers, Ford just made its entry-level offerings a whole lot harder to ignore.

Source: Ford

Tuning

The Roush F-150 Is Proof That Wheels and Tires Still Sell Trucks

Roush has built a career out of taking Ford’s greatest hits and turning the volume knob just enough to make enthusiasts notice. Its latest effort, a Roush-modified Ford F-150, follows that exact formula: subtle at first glance, aggressive once you start paying attention—and expensive once you read the price tag.

Visually, the truck walks a careful line between factory fresh and aftermarket brawler. The high-pass grille integrates cleanly into the front fascia, giving the F-150 a tougher, more technical face without screaming for attention. A lightly reworked hood adds functional heat extractors, while extended fenders give the truck a wider, more planted stance. It’s not cartoonish, but it’s definitely more “don’t tailgate me” than stock.

The biggest visual statement comes from the rolling stock. Roush fits satin black 20-inch wheels wrapped in meaty 33-inch General Tire Grabber A/TX all-terrains. Combined with a revised suspension setup—new springs, upgraded shocks, and a two-inch leveling kit—the truck sits taller and looks far more trail-ready than the average mall crawler. An active exhaust system with two modes adds some auditory theater, though Roush hasn’t said exactly how dramatic the difference is between quiet and loud.

Inside, details are scarce, but Roush promises carbon-fiber trim and a serialized plaque to remind you that this isn’t just another F-150. Aluminum pedals and an overhead auxiliary switch panel hint at future off-road ambitions, whether that means light bars, winches, or gear you haven’t bought yet.

For buyers with deeper pockets, Roush offers two upgrade paths. The Premium package brings black or tan leather seats with inserts that echo the grille pattern, embroidered headrests, and American flag graphics—because nothing says performance branding like patriotic upholstery. The Ready package is more practical, adding a console safe and an off-road kit that includes essentials like a jump box, tow straps, gloves, and D-rings.

Here’s the catch: none of this touches the engine. No supercharger, no extra horsepower, no torque bump. Just styling, suspension, and accessories. And yet, the conversion alone costs $18,995. Add the Premium package and you’re looking at $24,995 on top of the price of the truck itself.

That puts the Roush F-150 in an awkward middle ground. It looks tougher than a stock F-150 and carries a respected performance badge, but without any power upgrades, it’s more fashion statement than full-blown performance truck. For some buyers, the exclusivity and cohesive design will be enough. For others, spending nearly $25,000 on a “performance” package that doesn’t actually make the truck faster might feel less like a smart upgrade and more like a very expensive aesthetic filter.

Source: Roush