The Bronco name has worn many faces since 1966, and one of the strangest was a 2004 Ford Bronco concept that never reached a showroom. Today’s Bronco is everywhere, from mall parking lots to trailheads. That makes it easy to forget how many versions most American drivers will never meet face to face.
Some were show cars that went home after the auto show. One was a race prototype that ran a single brutal desert race. Others are sold only in China, or arrived as limited editions that rarely turn up at a gas station.
These are our picks for the Broncos you’re least likely to see in person, with the facts behind each one. A few are concepts and prototypes, and we say so. The rest are real production trucks that just don’t come around often.
1. 2004 Ford Bronco concept
Long before the current Bronco arrived, Ford tested the idea at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Ford Bronco concept shared the stage with a Shelby Cobra concept. Its design pulled straight from the first-generation truck, with a short wheelbase, round headlamps and a squared-off roof.
Under the boxy body, though, it was far more modern than it looked. The concept rode on Ford’s CD2 platform, the same basis as the Escape. Power came from a 2.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder out of the European Mondeo, paired with a six-speed manual. It was also one of the first Fords to wear a three-bar grille.
Our take: this is the Bronco that could have been. A small diesel with a stick shift sounds like a dream to many off-road fans today. Instead, the idea sat on the shelf for more than a decade and a half. If you ever spot this one, you’re looking at a one-off show car, not something you could have bought. Because of that, it earns the top spot on our list.
2. 2019 Ford Bronco R prototype
Ford chose the hardest possible debut for its next Bronco. The Bronco R prototype ran the 2019 Baja 1000 to test the engine, transmission and four-wheel drive of the 2021 Bronco, which was still under wraps. Ford said only that it used a twin-turbo EcoBoost engine.
The truck carried a 70-gallon fuel tank good for up to 315 miles, and its drivers swapped every 130 miles. It also ran racing suspension and 37-inch tires. Still, Baja won the day. Around mile 495, the passenger-side spindle, lower control arm and CV joint were destroyed. Then, near mile 580, the cooling fans failed and the truck overheated. After about 30 minutes of repair attempts, Ford withdrew it.
We think that DNF tells you more than a win would have. Ford sent a prototype into the toughest test it could find, and every failure happened in public. For the bigger picture, see our list of 10 Broncos that helped define America’s off-road legacy. As a racer built for one event, the Bronco R is a truck few people will ever see up close.
3. Ford Bronco Basecamp EV (China market)
This Bronco wears the badge, but it is a different machine entirely. The Bronco New Energy is a China-only, five-door unibody crossover built by Ford’s joint venture with Jiangling Motors in Nanchang. It isn’t mechanically related to the Bronco or the Bronco Sport. Even so, it borrows the Bronco’s headlights, swinging tailgate and rear-mounted spare.
The Basecamp version adds a factory pop-up roof that creates 36 centimeters of extra headroom, so owners can sleep inside. It was revealed at the 2025 Chengdu Auto Show, and pre-sales opened on October 2, 2025. According to Ford Authority, the all-electric model uses a 105.4 kWh BYD FinDreams LFP battery and offers up to 650 km of range on the Chinese test cycle. That works out to roughly 404 miles.
In our view, this is the most surprising Bronco on the list. It is a camper-ready electric SUV that most U.S. buyers will only ever see in photos. There’s also an extended-range version with a 1.5-liter gas generator. If electrified Broncos interest you, read our story on how Ford confirmed a Bronco hybrid.
4. China-built Ford Bronco four-door
Not every China-market Bronco is a crossover. Jiangling Ford Auto in Nanchang also builds the body-on-frame Bronco that Americans know, and it went on sale in China in January 2024. It looks almost identical to the U.S. truck from a distance.
The differences sit in the spec sheet. The Chinese Bronco is offered only as a four-door. It also comes with just one engine, the 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbo four, so Chinese buyers don’t get the V6 choices offered here. Trim levels have included Base, Badlands and Everglades. Sales have been modest by U.S. standards, with 8,814 sold in China in 2024 and 6,784 in 2025.
Our take: this is the one hiding in plain sight. Park it next to a U.S.-market four-door and you’d struggle to tell them apart. But it is built on the other side of the world for a different market. That’s what makes it fun to know about, since it shows how far the Bronco name now travels. Unless you visit China, though, you won’t see one on the road.
5. 2025 Ford Bronco Stroppe Edition
The Stroppe Edition honors Bill Stroppe, whose team prepared the Broncos that made the truck’s name in Baja. According to Ford’s announcement, a Stroppe-prepared Bronco won Baja outright in 1969. Ford calls that the first and still only overall win there by a stock four-wheel-drive vehicle.
For 2025, Ford built the tribute as a two-door only. It uses the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6, Fox internal bypass dampers and HOSS 3.0 suspension. The truck also rides on 35-inch Goodyear Territory RT tires and 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels. Its Code Orange, Oxford White and Atlas Blue livery updates the original Stroppe colors, and Ford says it was the first use of Code Orange outside the Raptor family.
We’d call this the collector’s Bronco of the modern era. It launched at $77,665, and for 2026 Ford moved the Stroppe name to the four-door at $69,995. As a result, the two-door 2025 version is the one we’d hunt for. Its paint scheme is hard to miss, but you’ll rarely find one in traffic.
6. Ford Bronco Heritage Edition
Ford announced the Heritage Edition in August 2022 for the 2023 model year as a nod to the original 1966 truck. It wears an Oxford White grille with Race Red “FORD” lettering. It also gets Oxford White 17-inch heritage wheels and a matching white hardtop. The look recalls why the 1966 Ford Bronco launched with a very different mission than today’s SUVs.
The hardware is serious, too. Every Heritage Edition comes standard with the Sasquatch package, which brings HOSS 2.0 suspension and long-travel Bilstein dampers. It also adds 35-inch Goodyear mud-terrain tires, Dana electronic locking axles and a 4.7:1 final drive. Power comes from a 2.3-liter EcoBoost with up to 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft, with a seven-speed manual standard.
Our take: the Heritage Edition is the version you might spot if you’re lucky. Its Heritage Limited Edition sibling is far scarcer, because Ford built 1,966 units of each Limited model. Either way, a white-grilled Bronco with a manual is a throwback we’d happily park in our garage.
7. Ford Bronco Raptor
The Bronco Raptor arrived for the 2022 model year as a four-door only, developed by Ford Performance. Its 3.0-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 makes 418 horsepower and 440 lb-ft of torque. It also rides on 37-inch tires with beadlock-capable aluminum wheels. For comparison, that’s two inches taller than the 35s on the Stroppe and Heritage editions above.
What really sets it apart is its size. The Raptor measures 85.7 inches wide and offers 13.1 inches of ground clearance. That’s a lot of truck for a nameplate that started as a compact. By comparison, its 4,500-pound tow rating shows it was built for desert speed, not for hauling.
In our view, the Raptor is the Bronco you’ll hear about far more often than you’ll stand next to. Its wide stance and big tires make it look like a desert racer with a license plate. If you do see one, take a second look at the fender flares. Most other Broncos on the road look narrow beside it, which is exactly why it closes our list.
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