zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Own A Piece Of Ford Bronco History With Parnelli Jones' Big Oly
Own A Piece Of Ford Bronco History With Parnelli Jones' Big Oly-April 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:58

Image for article titled Own A Piece Of Ford Bronco History With Parnelli Jones' Big Oly

Parnelli Jones is something of a legend in the racing world, taking victories at motorsport events as diverse as the Indianapolis 500 and the Baja 1000 desert race. And now you can own a piece of Ford Bronco–and Baja—history, because his iconic “Big Oly” is going up for auction.

In fact, Mecum is auctioning off the entire , which includes six cars from the man’s personal collection. But the shining star is undoubtedly the Big Oly Bronco. This distinctive machine took its nickname from its main sponsor, Olympia Beer, and won the Baja 1000 back-to-back in 1971 and 1972. They also took home the 1973 Baja 500 and and the 1973 Mint 400. Needless to say, this bad boy has pedigree.

Image for article titled Own A Piece Of Ford Bronco History With Parnelli Jones' Big Oly

Image for article titled Own A Piece Of Ford Bronco History With Parnelli Jones' Big Oly

Image for article titled Own A Piece Of Ford Bronco History With Parnelli Jones' Big Oly

And let’s run through some specs:

154-inch length72-inch width2,620-pound dry weightChrome moly tubing space frameFiberglass and aluminum bodywork351/390 HP Ford Windsor V-8 engineModified Ford C6 B&M hydro transmissionGold/White/Black exterior with No. 1 livery45-gallon fuel capacityRuns on high-octane racing fuelExtreme shock absorber and suspension travelCustom big wing on topSplit windshield to reduce dust in the cockpitSpool rear end for better tractionFirestone White-letter off-road tires

Jones got into off-road racing after losing out on the Indy 500 with just four laps to go when his Andy Granatelli-run turbine car broke down. Co-driver Bill Stroppe basically dared Jones into it, saying “Jones wasn’t man enough for off-road racing.”

Image for article titled Own A Piece Of Ford Bronco History With Parnelli Jones' Big Oly

Image for article titled Own A Piece Of Ford Bronco History With Parnelli Jones' Big Oly

But Jones wasn’t going to take that lying down, nor would he take it easy, and the Big Oly was designed to push every boundary possible. Aside from the roof, which was basically just designed to be a huge wing, there were tons of other innovations: a split windshield to reduce cockpit dust, built-in Thermos drinking systems for the drivers, a fiberglass frame, a backlit device containing a hand-operated scroll of maps that functioned as an analog GPS, and heavily modified suspension. If an aspect could be modified, it was. And it worked. Off-roading was never the same after that point.

Image for article titled Own A Piece Of Ford Bronco History With Parnelli Jones' Big Oly

One of the coolest things about this machine, though, is that it’s remained in Jones’ personal collection since he raced it. Back in that era, it was common for successful cars to be sold off and essentially raced to death, but the Big Oly was something else. Jones knew that. So he kept it safe, taking it out of storage to occasionally lend it to a museum exhibition.

Because of its pristine nature and the historical significance of the Big Oly, is estimating that it could sell for over one million dollars. It’s hard to imagine it going for anything less.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
In another unsurprising example of motorsport’s inhospitable mindset toward hiring competent women, the Racing team has announced a new partnership with Ava Rose, a literal , who will... engage with fans? Share knowledge about technology? “Navigate the cutting edge of innovation to create positive change” (whatever that means)? I...
Apr 20, 2025
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
The partially North Carolina-based squad has determined that after , it needs to mix things up a little. The team’s firebrand has been following an abysmal 2023 season which saw the team score just four points-paying finishes. The team’s , where scored a fourth-place finish, but that season too...
Apr 20, 2025
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
Name a car from the early 1960s built by a famed racing driver with curvy, lightweight aluminum bodywork, a big American engine, and a reputation for being unruly and fast as all hell. Your first thought was probably the famed Shelby Cobra, did you know there was a who...
Apr 20, 2025
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
If you listen to Formula 1 or local officials from Las Vegas and Clark County, you’d probably think November’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix was a success. Some sources estimated that the city of Las Vegas made over $1 billion in revenue from the event — but there were...
Apr 20, 2025
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Fellow nerds, get ready to open your wallets, because I’ve found what may be the greatest store of all time. With designs from Formula 1 teams like , you’re sure to find something that fits your particular nostalgic niche. I’d like to introduce you to Racing Retro. I first...
Apr 20, 2025
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
If you follow racing in the U.S., you probably already know about the . Most of the episodes are too much of a distraction to put on as background noise while you work, but a couple of recent entries in his series have been working incredibly well for me....
Apr 20, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved