Photo: Aguttes
Precisely 15,256 units of the Bronco were produced for the 1976 model year. Chassis number U15GLB09627 stands out from the crowd thanks to its first owner, Formula 1 racing driver Gilles Villeneuve. The sport utility vehicle is due to be auctioned by the peeps at Aguttes on December 14th.
First things first, U15 refers to the wagon body style. A bit earlier in the first-generation Bronco’s run, the Ford Motor Company offered the U14 half-cab pickup and U13 roadster. G refers to the 302-ci engine, and L stands for the Michigan assembly plant where the sixth-generation Bronco is currently manufactured together with the Ranger pickup truck.
One of the Scuderia’s most celebrated racing drivers, Gilles Villeneuve had its Bronco modified by the Maranello-based outfit. “Never touched since the passing of the legendary Canadian driver,” the 1976 model is presented with the original license plate, Recaro buckets, and twin tanks.
Wider fenders are featured, along with beefy tires mounted on white-painted wheels. Equipped with a winch, the Bronco has definitely seen better days. U15GLB09627 currently walks on the fine line between patina and the point of no return, meaning that whoever bids the most should spend a few hard-earned bucks on addressing a plethora of imperfections.
Beefed-up suspension, a Doug Nash-sourced gearbox topped by a Hurst shifter, and a “tuned 5.0-liter engine” are also featured. Aguttes doesn’t go into the finer details, and the photos uploaded to the auction house’s website don’t reveal what kind of modifications were brought to said V8.
Had it been completely stock, the 4.9-liter powerplant would have been connected to a three-speed transmission instead of the five-speed unit mentioned earlier. When it was brand-spanking new, the small-block V8 cranked out 125 net ponies and 220 net pound-foot (298 Nm) of torque.
On an ending note, have a wild guess about the estimated sale price. Aguttes believes that 80,000 euros is the lowest possible hammer price, with 120,000 euros representing the highest possible hammer price. At current exchange rates, that would be 82,760 to 124,140 freedom eagles.
One of the Scuderia’s most celebrated racing drivers, Gilles Villeneuve had its Bronco modified by the Maranello-based outfit. “Never touched since the passing of the legendary Canadian driver,” the 1976 model is presented with the original license plate, Recaro buckets, and twin tanks.
Wider fenders are featured, along with beefy tires mounted on white-painted wheels. Equipped with a winch, the Bronco has definitely seen better days. U15GLB09627 currently walks on the fine line between patina and the point of no return, meaning that whoever bids the most should spend a few hard-earned bucks on addressing a plethora of imperfections.
Beefed-up suspension, a Doug Nash-sourced gearbox topped by a Hurst shifter, and a “tuned 5.0-liter engine” are also featured. Aguttes doesn’t go into the finer details, and the photos uploaded to the auction house’s website don’t reveal what kind of modifications were brought to said V8.
Had it been completely stock, the 4.9-liter powerplant would have been connected to a three-speed transmission instead of the five-speed unit mentioned earlier. When it was brand-spanking new, the small-block V8 cranked out 125 net ponies and 220 net pound-foot (298 Nm) of torque.
On an ending note, have a wild guess about the estimated sale price. Aguttes believes that 80,000 euros is the lowest possible hammer price, with 120,000 euros representing the highest possible hammer price. At current exchange rates, that would be 82,760 to 124,140 freedom eagles.
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