The Ford Bronco has a long and storied history, dating back to the original Bronco which debuted in 1966. The Bronco was originally designed by McKinley Thompson Jr., the first African American designer hired by Ford Motor Company, who also worked on legendary vehicles like the original Ford Mustang and historic GT40 race car.
One of his proposals for an off-road vehicle with short overhangs, high ground-clearance and a boxy-look became the basis for the first Bronco.