Next Special-Edition Bronco Honors Bill Stroppe, Who Helped Ford Conquer the Baja 1000

First, it was a freewheeling tribute to Ford’s late-1970s and early-’80s run of warm reds and yellows. Now, for the Bronco’s second special-edition model, Ford will pay tribute to the man who helped Dearborn conquer off-road racing.

The 2025 Ford Bronco Stroppe Special Edition takes its name from the late Bill Stroppe, the legendary Long Beach, California, builder who lightly prepped a stock 1969 Bronco and delivered Ford the outright victory in the grueling Baja 1000. It remains the only time a stock 4×4 has taken the outright title in this race. With that victory—and the subsequent dominance of Stroppe and driver Parnelli Jones in the legendary Big Oly Bronco, Ford’s and Stroppe’s legacies became forever linked in the Mexican desert.

“Bill Stroppe not only established Bronco’s competition legacy at events like the Baja 1000 and NORRA Mexican 1000, but Stroppe Baja Broncos put his off-road knowhow on the road and helped establish Bronco with consumers,” Ford archivist Ted Ryan said. Indeed, Stroppe’s know-how was at least in part offered on consumer versions of the Bronco from 1971 to 1975.

Now, Ford will look to cash in on that rich history with a tribute model that also packs some serious punch. Standard capability-enhancing features include a stabilizer bar disconnect, high-performance off-road stability suspension 3.0 (HOSS 3.0) with Fox internal-bypass dampers, and 35-inch Goodyear Territory RT tires from the Sasquatch package. Power will come from the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 exclusively; no output bump is mentioned, so we’d expect to see 330 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque when you use premium fuel.

The Stroppe Special Edition will be offered only as a two-door model, replete with a modern take on the Calypso Coral, Wimbledon White, and Astra Blue livery of those original Stroppe Baja Broncos: The new ute’s body will wear Oxford White and Code Orange paint with an Atlas Blue hardtop. As with the original Baja Broncos, the hood of the new Stroppe Bronco will be painted matte black to reduce glare from the sun.

Other exterior cosmetic tweaks include a white grille with Code Orange “BRONCO” lettering, Code Orange front tow hooks, “Stroppe Special Edition” branding on the front and rear fenders, Code Orange high-clearance wheel well arches, removable side steps with integrated rock rails, 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels, and a matte black tailgate.

Inside, the Stroppe Bronco will get a white instrument mid-panel, like that of the Bronco Heritage. Code Orange accents will be found throughout the cabin, including on the dashboard entering, the G.O.A.T. mode dial bezel, the insides of the grab handles, and the contrast stitching along the dashboard and seats. A Stroppe Special Edition badge adorns the center console as well.

This neat throwback tribute will be available in January of next year, with pricing announced at a later date. As with the Free Wheeling special edition, Ford is also releasing a new line of merchandise you can scoop up to match your Stroppe Bronco.