Word’s Most Famous Bronco Owner Dead at 76; Infamous White Bronco Lives On
We cover the ups and downs of the life of O.J. Simpson as well as discuss the most famous Bronco in the world and where you could go to see it.
Intro
O.J. Simpson, Pro Football Hall of Famer, and possibly the most famous Ford Bronco owner ever, died this week at age 76. His family confirmed in a statement that Simpson had lost his battle with cancer. Simpson led a life full of extraordinary highs, and terrifying lows. He went from a stellar NFL career to a successful entertainment career to being accused of double murder. Simpson will be remembered for many things, but possibly the one that will forever stand out the most is the June 17, 1994 police chase in an Oxford White 1993 Ford Bronco. Today we are looking back at the life of Simpson, the famous police chase and the whereabouts of the most famous Ford Bronco ever.
Image: Al Schaben / Los Angeles Times
O.J. Simpson Highlights
Simpson was an exceptional athlete. He was a Heisman Trophy winner, NFL league MVP, and NFL Hall of Fame inductee. In 1973 Simpson became the first player in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He earned the nickname "The Juice" thanks to his explosive running style. Simpson also had a successful career in the entertainment industry. He appeared in many memorable television advertisements for Hertz rental cars. He also starred in some major Hollywood films such as The Naked Gun. These are terrific accomplishments, but unfortunately Simpson had low points that outweighed everything else.
Image: National Football League
O.J. Simpson Lowlights
Simpson had to endure the death of his 1-year-old daughter when she drowned in the family swimming pool in 1979. In 1989 he pleaded no contest to charges of spousal battery, accused of slapping, kicking, and threatening to kill his wife, Nicole Brown. In 1994 he was charged with the murder of his now ex-wife, Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman. After a trial that gripped the nation for nearly a year, Simpson was acquitted of the murder charges. However, in 1997 he is ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages to the Brown and Goldman families after a jury finds him liable for wrongful death and battery. In 2007 he released the controversial book If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer. In the book and after its release, Simpson maintained his innocence, but the book goes into detail about how he would have killed Brown and Goldman if he was the killer.
In 2008 Simpson stole some of his old sports memorabilia back from a Las Vegas dealer at gunpoint. He was sentenced to 33 years in prison for kidnapping and armed robbery. He was released nine years later due to good behavior.
Image: AP: Joseph R. Villarin
The Chase
A few days after being charged with the murders of Brown and Goldman, Simpson led police on what is probably the most famous police chase in history. After not turning himself in to face the charges, Simpson was declared a fugitive, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Simpson was spotted on the Los Angeles interstate in the back of the Ford Bronco that was driven by his friend and former teammate, Al Cowlings. A 60-mile, two-hour, low-speed pursuit through Southern California ensued. 95 million people watched the chase on television. To put that in perspective, about 90 million people watched the Super Bowl that year. This Bronco chase is one of those moments in history that people will never forget where they were when it was on. To this day people associate a white Bronco with Simpson.
Image: Alcatraz East Crime Museum
The Bronco
The Bronco in the police chase was a 1993 XLT painted in Oxford White. The fifth generation Bronco is known as the “Original Body Style (OBS) and it went out of production in 1996. The Bronco would not return for 25 years until the sixth generation was released in 2021. The Bronco in the police chase actually belonged to Cowlings. He and Simpson had identical Broncos, but Simpson’s was seized by police for the investigation. After the chase the Bronco passed through several owners. It even made an appearance on Pawn Stars, but the owner wanted well over $1 million for it and they were not able to make a deal. Eventually it was purchased by the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge, TN. It is on permanent display there and all you need to do to see it is to buy a general admission ticket for $28.95.
Image: Alcatraz East Crime Museum
Alcatraz East Crime Museum
The Simpson chase Bronco is not the only famous vehicle on display at the Alcatraz East Crime Museum. Sharing floor space with the Bronco is the 1968 VW Beetle that belonged to serial killer Ted Bundy. The 1933 Essex Terraplane that bank-robber John Dillinger used to evade the FBI is also inside. Parked right next to the Bronco is the 1934 Ford used in the 1967 movie Bonnie and Clyde. All are amazing pieces of history, but the Bronco is by far the most famous. Simpson is gone, but the Bronco lives on.
Image: Alcatraz East Crime Museum