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This 1976 Ford Bronco is owned by Formula 1 racing legend Gilles Villeneuve, it was reportedly prepared by him for serious off-road use and it has been in storage for decades – remaining untouched as it was he passed away in 1982.
Villeneuve is a very talented racing driver and possibly the only person to have won the snowmobile world championship and moved up to F1, where he raced at the highest level of the sport for both McLaren and Ferrari.
Fast Facts – The Gilles Villeneuve Ford Bronco
- Gilles Villeneuve remains one of the most beloved drivers to ever compete in Formula 1. His gritty driving style and natural talent saw him race for McLaren and then Ferrari, where he won six that race and nearly captured the Drivers’ Championship in 1979.
- Villeneuve was born and raised in Quebec, Canada. He was fascinated by racing and cars from a young age. He began his professional career in snowmobile racing before moving to single-seater racing, and then to Formula 1.
- A tragic accident at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix resulted in Villeneuve’s death aged just 32. As a result, he would never win the Formula 1 World Championship, however 15 years later in 1997 his son Jacques Villeneuve would win the Championship to widespread acclaim. .
- This 1976 Ford Bronco was bought new by Gilles Villeneuve and then prepared by him to a high standard. It has been in storage since his death, and it is now being sold in need of restoration.
The Great Gilles Villeneuve
Gilles Villeneuve was born on the 18th of January 1950 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada to piano-tuner Seville and his wife Georgette Villeneuve. He rode motor vehicles from a young age, as a teenager he used to drag his modified 1967 Ford Mustang before entering the world of Formula Ford racing and winning 7 of his first 10 races.
Video Above: This is the film Ferrari made to commemorate Gilles Villeneuve in 2021. It shows Ferrari team members from the era discussing Villeneuve and his legacy.
Villeneuve’s professional career was a whirlwind after this, he moved to compete in Formula Atlantic after his successes in Formula Ford. He won his first Formula Atlantic race in 1975, then won every race except one in 1976 to win both the Canadian and American Championships, then won the Canadian Championship again in 1977 for good measure.
In the early to mid 1970s, Villeneuve actually made most of his money competing in snowmobile racing, a popular sport in Canada. He went on to win the prestigious World Championship Snowmobile Derby in 1974.
Villeneuve’s life would change forever in 1976 when he was invited to take part in a Formula Atlantic race against Formula 1 driver James Hunt and several other F1 luminaries. He surprised the field by beating them all, McLaren was so impressed with him that they hired him as their third driver for five races in the 1977 season.
He would switch to Ferrari for the final two races of 1977, being personally accepted by Enzo Ferrari due to the fact that he reminded him of pre-WWII racing legend Tazio Nuvolari.
Villeneuve later said “If someone told me you could have three wishes, my first would be to join the race, my second to Formula 1, my third to drive for Ferrari.”
Inside the cabin you’ll find twin Recaro seats, a rallye-style steering wheel, and a steering column-mounted tachometer to monitor the 5.0 liter V8 mounted up front.
He would stay with Ferrari for five years, until his death at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix. Today he is remembered as one of the most talented and daring drivers of the era, and he remains a fan favorite.
The Ex-Gilles Villeneuve Bronco Shown Here
This 1976 Ford Bronco was bought new by Gilles Villeneuve and he kept it his entire life, spanning his entire Formula 1 career. This car is said to have been used by him in Monaco and the Alps and the listing states that it was prepared by him – it has a thoughtful list of changes.
Among these upgrades are a wide body kit, dual fuel tanks, a modified 5.0 liter V8, a Doug Nash 4-speed gearbox, a Hurst Competition shifter, Recaro buckets, white steel wheels, extra wide Mickey Thomson wheels, a front-mounted winch, a rallye-style steering wheel, and a steering column-mounted tachometer.
This extraordinary Bronco is due to be offered for sale by Aguttes on December 14th with a price guide of €80,000 – €120,000 which works out to around $83,000 – $124,000 USD. If you want to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Photos courtesy of Aguttes
Ben’s articles have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many others.
Silodrome was founded by Ben in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
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