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Whatever Happened to the Infamous 1993 O.J. Simpson Ford Bronco?

Ford Bronco is making a comeback, but there is one Bronco Ford would like you to forget ever existed: the infamous white Bronco that made (crime-)television history back in 1994, when it was featured in the first-ever televised slow-speed chase in the world.
The 1993 Ford Bronco carrying O.J. Simpson on the world's most infamous slow-speed chase 11 photos
Photo: Jean-Marc Giboux
The 1993 Ford Bronco carrying O.J. Simpson on the world's most infamous slow-speed chaseThe 1993 Ford Bronco carrying O.J. Simpson on the world's most infamous slow-speed chaseThe 1993 Ford Bronco carrying O.J. Simpson on the world's most infamous slow-speed chaseThe 1993 Ford Bronco carrying O.J. Simpson on the world's most infamous slow-speed chaseThe 1993 Ford Bronco carrying O.J. Simpson on the world's most infamous slow-speed chaseThe 1993 Ford Bronco carrying O.J. Simpson on the world's most infamous slow-speed chaseThe 1993 Ford Bronco carrying O.J. Simpson on the world's most infamous slow-speed chaseThe 1993 Ford Bronco carrying O.J. Simpson on the world's most infamous slow-speed chaseThe 1993 Ford Bronco carrying O.J. Simpson on the world's most infamous slow-speed chaseThe 1993 Ford Bronco carrying O.J. Simpson on the world's most infamous slow-speed chase
It was a relatively quiet Friday evening on June 17, 1994, when news broke that star American football player O.J. “The Juice” Simpson had become a wanted man for failing to turn himself in for questioning in relation to the murder of his wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. Simpson, a star athlete and a wholesome family figure-type of guy, was on the move, and the car itself, a stock, otherwise-unimpressive 1993 white Ford Bronco, would become an international star in the following couple of hours.

Between 5.56 p.m. and 7.57 p.m., the Bronco with the plates 3DHY503, driven by Simpson’s friend Al Cowlings, traveled along Los Angeles’ freeways with several police cars in pursuit and over twenty helicopters in the air.

Almost 100 million people worldwide tuned in on TV to watch the chase, with the biggest media outlets (AP, Reuters, CNN) offering minute-by-minute live coverage. Even the NBA Finals had to be cut short to air the slow-speed chase. It was a trainwreck-type of cultural phenomenon, the kind you know you shouldn't watch, but can't seem to look away from.

Cowlings was at the wheel, with Simpson in the backseat, presumably holding a gun to his own head and saying he would never turn himself in, thus forcing Cowlings to keep driving. As the chase continued, people with homemade signs came out in the streets, hanging on overpasses to cheer and shout encouragement for Simpson, as the Bronco drove by. It was insanity – even by today’s standards, when a mere tweet can trigger controversy and dispute across the globe.

The 1993 Ford Bronco carrying O\.J\. Simpson on the world's most infamous slow\-speed chase
Photo: Mike Gilbert
Ironically, Simpson was a spokesperson for Ford as the chase was playing out on TV screens: his contract went all the way back to 1975. As it happens, though, this wasn’t his car. His, an identical white Bronco XLT, had been left at the house covered in blood, and was later destroyed, once the police investigation concluded.

This was Cowlings’ vehicle and it survives to this day, although you may not have known about it.

There is a small niche in the specialist market that deals with celebrity death cars and that has proved tremendously profitable over the years. The O.J. Simpson Bronco never had that kind of appeal, given the controversy around the case and the subsequent Simpson trial, which saw him acquitted of the murders. Once the police investigation concluded, the Bronco ended up in hiding for years, before being put on display and then offered for sale – repeatedly, because it failed to secure a buyer.

Shortly after the televised car chase, Cowlings tried to sell the Bronco to a company called Starifacts, which had approached him with a $75,000 offer. At the time, the Bronco would have been worth about $1,800, so Cowlings would have made a serious profit, had the deal gone through.

However, Simpson’s former agent, Mike Gilbert, found out that the company planned to use the Bronco to offer “tours” that would include a reiteration of the chase and a visit to Nicole’s grave. With the trial still underway, Gilbert offered Cowlings the same amount for the car. He kept the Bronco in storage, under lock and key, until 2012.

The 1993 Ford Bronco carrying O\.J\. Simpson on the world's most infamous slow\-speed chase
Photo: Mike Gilbert
Being a businessman with an insight into how showbiz worked, Gilbert knew that the Bronco’s value would increase with enough time having passed from the murders, if only he had the patience to wait for the public to forget. As such, he strove to keep it in top shape, doing regular maintenance work and check-ups, and even taking it out for very short drives. Some 20 miles (32 km) were put on the odometer during all these years.

The Bronco would resurface that same year, on display outside the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, as part of a sports memorabilia exhibit. Management wanted to bring it inside, which would have required disassembly so it would fit through the doors; Gilbert refused the proposal and put it back into storage.

Fast-forward to 2017 for the Bronco’s next appearance. Gilbert was back on the market, trying to find a buyer, but also recognizing the need for some publicity. He agreed to have the Bronco featured on an episode of the reality series Pawn Stars called “If the Pawn Don’t Fit,” a very obvious pun on Simpson’s now-famous line “if the glove don’t fit,” which reportedly got him out of jail.

On the show, Gilbert initially asked $1.3 million for it. Even though he was told he wouldn’t get more than $1 million if it were to sell at auction, the only negotiation he was open to was down to $1.25 million. On that same episode, Gilbert claimed he’d turned down a $500,000 offer for the car, because it was a shameless under-appreciation of its value.

The 1993 Ford Bronco carrying O\.J\. Simpson on the world's most infamous slow\-speed chase
Photo: A&E Networks
As of 2022, the infamous white Bronco is on display at the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, as a loaner, placed between Ted Bundy’s Bug and John Dillinger’s getaway car. Gilbert still keeps the gas left in the tank after the chase, as well as the original tires and the registration papers. Whether he’s given up the idea of selling it or is just biding his time and waiting for that perfect chance is unknown. But the days of hiding for this plain, but very controversial Bronco seem to be over.

The video below shows the infamous slow-speed car chase, a watershed moment that launched the culture of court TV, celebrity reality shows, and crime-watching. For Ford, it is still a spot on its good record, but one that it’s completely powerless over.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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