By Chase Robbins | 05 May, 2026
Amanda Mertz introduces you to the first ever 1966 Ford Bronco – one we encountered when we visited Gateway Bronco. When we say first ever, we do not mean a first generation Bronco, which would include the Ford Bronco trucks that were built from 1966-1977. No, when we say first bronco, we mean the very first one ever made. The serial number portion of the VIN (vehicle Identification Number) is all zeros. This was the prototype vehicle, built at Ford’s Michigan pilot production plant.
The Incredible Story of the First Ford Bronco
This isn’t just an early Ford Bronco. According to the research and documentation surrounding the vehicle, this is the first Bronco prototype, built at Ford’s pilot production facility in Allen Park, Michigan.
And somehow, that’s only the beginning of the story.
The Bronco started life as a teal-green half-cab with a six-cylinder engine. It was later sent west, where it found its way into the hands of none other than Carroll Shelby.
Yes, that Carroll Shelby.
In 1967, the Bronco was delivered to Shelby American’s Los Angeles facility. While there, the six-cylinder was replaced with a 289-cubic-inch Ford V8 and the Bronco received a new red-and-white paint scheme. It was eventually registered to Shelby’s Hi-Performance Motors before making its way to the Christmas Mountains Land & Cattle Company near Terlingua, Texas, a ranch connected to Shelby.
So before most Broncos had accumulated their first collection of parking-lot door dings, this one had already been modified by Carroll Shelby.
Not a bad résumé.
In November 1978, the Bronco was sold to Texas Ford dealership owner Vincent “Vinnie” Yakubanski. The price?
$100, minus the tires and wheels.
That may rank fairly high on the list of automotive purchases we’d all like to go back in time and make.
Vinnie repainted the Bronco in the blue-and-gray color combination you see today, and it became a family vehicle. The Yakubanski family used it for trips and vacations, including journeys to Wyoming. According to Gateway Bronco’s history of the truck, they even cooked hot dogs wrapped in aluminum foil on the intake during road trips.
Forget heated seats. That’s an option I’d like to see Ford bring back.
Eventually the Bronco was parked and largely disappeared from public view.
Then, in 2016, the story took another turn.
Gateway Bronco founder and CEO Seth Burgett had recently launched his company specializing in early Ford Broncos when he heard from Vinnie Yakubanski.
Vinnie sent Seth a photo of the Bronco’s VIN plate and explained what he believed he had: the first Bronco, once owned by Carroll Shelby.
That tends to get a Bronco guy’s attention.
The VIN helped establish that the truck had been built at Ford’s Allen Park pilot plant rather than the regular Michigan Truck Plant used for production Broncos. From there, Seth and Gateway Bronco were able to trace an impressive paper trail.
The surviving documentation includes a California registration identifying Hi-Performance Motors as an owner, the Texas title connecting the Bronco to the Christmas Mountains Land & Cattle Company, and even the original $100 check used by Yakubanski to purchase it.
After negotiations with Vinnie, Seth acquired the Bronco in October 2016 and became the next caretaker of this remarkable piece of Ford history.
And caretaker is probably the right word.
Gateway Bronco is known for building beautifully restored and heavily upgraded early Broncos, but this isn’t exactly the truck you tear apart because you decided it needs 700 horsepower, giant brakes and Apple CarPlay. Its imperfections are part of its history.
The First Bronco has remained part of Seth Burgett’s collection and has continued to appear at major automotive events around the country, including Monterey Car Week.
GearHeadTour had the opportunity to visit Seth and Gateway Bronco in Hamel, Illinois, just outside St. Louis, where we were able to see the First Bronco ourselves and hear the story directly from Seth.
It’s one thing to see a beautifully restored 1966 Bronco.
It’s something entirely different to stand next to a Bronco that went through Ford’s prototype program, passed through Carroll Shelby’s hands, worked on a Texas ranch, spent decades hauling a family around the country and then disappeared into a barn before finally being rediscovered.
Cars don’t get much better stories than that.
GearHeadTour wants to thank Seth Burgett and the entire Gateway Bronco team for giving us access to their facility and allowing us to spend some time with this incredible piece of automotive history.
Be sure to check out FirstBronco.com and Gateway Bronco for more information about the history of the First Bronco, and watch our GearHeadTour videos from our visit to Gateway Bronco.
