Greenlight/Acme | Ford Baja Bronco Stroppe (1971, 1/18 scale diecast model car, Red/White/Blue) 51173

On January 28, 1971, Ford announced the release of the Baja Bronco, a "limited production duplicate" of Stroppe's team cars. Each Baja Bronco began life on the assembly line equipped with the Sport Bronco Package, An exterior and interior chrome trim package with additional vinyl interior trim and floor mats. In addition to the extra cooling package, reduced-noise exhaust and heavy-duty suspension, the Baja Broncos all received a special factory-applied tri-color paint scheme combining Acapulco Blue, Wimbledon White and Poppy Red (with either a Semi-Gloss or Flat Black hood), matching that of the Stroppe-built off-road racers.

Stroppe, a native of Long Beach, California, began his long association with the Ford family in 1947. That year he drove his Ford-powered home-built speedboat, "The Miss Art Hall,” to victory in the Henry Ford Memorial Regatta on Michigan’s Detroit River. In the early 1950s his hot rod Lincolns stormed the grueling Carrera Panamericana road race in Mexico, winning the Touring class in 1952 and 1953. For years afterward, his Red, White, and Blue Mercury's were top contenders in NASCAR, and in the ‘60s the success of his partnership with Parnelli Jones extended to victories in such varied venues as Pikes Peak and the Indianapolis 500. When Ford officially pulled out of racing in 1969, Stroppe turned to the increasingly popular sport of off-road racing and prepared a Ford Bronco for Jones, who took his first victory in the Baja 500 in 1970.