1974 Ford Bronco Bill Stroppe Baja Up For Auction

August 30, 2023 11:55 am

1974 Ford Bronco Bill Stroppe Baja - Exterior 001 - Front Three Quarters

Bill Stroppe is one of the more famous names associated with Ford, as the two enjoy a relationship that dates all the way back to 1947. Stroppe has had a hand in helping The Blue Oval build all sorts of vehicles, ranging from Indy cars to dry lake racers and off-road trucks. This included, of course, the original Ford Bronco, which Stroppe tested, raced, and then built special versions of to sell directly to customers. The Ford Bronco Bill Stroppe Baja model was sold from 1971-1975 in relatively small quantities, and is a celebrated collectible today, making this 1974 model up for grabs at Bring a Trailer a truly special find.

This 1974 Ford Bronco Bill Stroppe Baja edition is one of roughly 500 built in total over those years, helping to celebrate the model’s success at the iconic Baja 500 and Baja 1000 races. This particular example was originally sold by Sunset Ford of Westminster, California, but the previous owner refinished it in the original Poppy Red and Wimbledon White with a Metallic Blue roof and black hood back in 2012. After the seller acquired the Baja Bronco in 2013, they proceeded to give it a rather extensive mechanical overhaul to boot.

All of the original Baja Conversion Package goodies are still in place and accounted for, including the padded roll bar, cut rear fenders, bolt-on rear fender extensions, and front bumper braces, along with a set of 15-inch U.S. Indy Mag wheels wrapped with 33×12.5-inch BFGoodrich Radial T/A K02 tires. Inside the cabin, one will find seats trimmed in white vinyl with blue and red accents, along with a unique two-spoke rubberized steering wheel.

Power for this Baja Ford Bronco comes from the venerable 302 cubic-inch V8, which has been treated to a new starter, water pump, thermostat, ignition components, and spark plugs. It sends power to all four wheels via a three-speed C4 automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case, though mileage is unknown. Regardless, this is a rare and special version of the original Bronco, and as such, should command significant interest at auction.

We’ll have more cool auction finds like this to share soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Bronco news and ongoing Ford news coverage.

By Brett Foote

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.