WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE FORD BRONCO TAKES A TUMBLE IN THE DESERT

Big Oly is a legendary Ford Bronco, if not the most legendary. It won the famed Baja 1000 in back-to-back years in 1971 and 1972, and holds claim to being the most valuable Bronco in the world, having sold at a Mecum auction for $1.87 million USD. The off-road legend is still out competing and was found most recently flipped upside down during the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) Mexican 1000, a race it has also won before.

The Big Oly Ford Bronco Crash

Instagram pictures by Fishgistics show the damage done to Big Oly when it rolled over. The caption shares that the culprit of the truck’s demise was a leaking talent reservoir that had run completely dry. The aerodynamic topside wing took most of the damage during the fall, and it’s likely it can be rebuilt. Big Oly’s driver and co-driver were otherwise unharmed, eventually got the truck turned upright, and continued onward in the race.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Fishgistics (@fishgistics)

The Race

The Mexican 1000 differs from the Baja 1000 in a couple ways. First it runs in stages where the Baja 1000 is continuous. Second, the Mexican 1000 separates vehicles by classes which are assigned to “Technology Eras” so that vehicles from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s can compete with other racers equipped with similar technology. This in turn offers the opportunity to run tribute trucks and restoration projects to race as if it were doing so for the first time 20-plus years ago. You might say Big Oly was trying to relive its glory days of when Bill Stroppe and Parnelli Jones were ripping it across the desert with their 351 cubic-inch V8 windsor capable of 390 horsepower.

The Legend Lives On

Legends leave a legacy and that is what Big Oly is and continues to do. Last year at SEMA Sara Morosan and her sister Theresa Contreras recognized this legendary machine by building a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport that paid homage to the Bronco of all Broncos. Before that Big Oly itself went up for auction last year at Mecum’s in Indianapolis where it was purchased for $1.87 million dollars, effectively making it the most expensive Ford Bronco around the globe.