When you’ve reached the pinnacle of fame, money is not an issue. And while it’s commonplace to find a range of rare, exotic and luxury vehicles flooding the garages of the rich and famous, there's one humble SUV that is a star among VIPs.
The Ford Bronco has been a mainstay in pop culture for decades, making various appearances in classic movies and real-life events that have turned the SUV into a cultural icon.
While the Bronco was revived in 2021 after Ford paused production in 1996, a range of A-list celebrities have been spotted adding it to their garages, further elevating the status of the vehicle to the pantheon of pop culture significance.
Here are some of the most famous owners who have added a Ford Bronco to their personal collection.
Drive would be remiss not to mention arguably the most famous Ford Bronco to ever hit the mainstream. In 1994, former NFL legend O.J. Simpson was asked to hand himself over to authorities following the death of his then-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson.
Rather than surrender peacefully, Simpson was involved in a police chase across a highway in Orange County, California, driving a 1993 white Ford Bronco.
The SUV didn’t technically belong to the former football player; instead, it was owned by Al Cowlings, a former friend and close associate of Simpson who reportedly wanted to match cars with Simpson’s own Bronco.
According to US-based auction house Clict, in 2024, the infamous Ford Bronco later co-owned by Cowlings and Michael Gilbert – Simpson's former agent – was reportedly heading under the hammer.
Gilbert said they always intended to sell the vehicle, but 2024 was “going to be the year we were going to sell because it's the 30th anniversary [of the police chase]”.
The co-owners told Clict that the last offer they received for the SUV was $US750,000 ($AUD1.17 million).
The former late-night talk show host and avid car collector, Jay Leno has a Ford Bronco in his garage, but it’s far from the stock-standard version.
According to Ford, the 1968 Ford Bronco was a gag gift given to Leno by fellow late-night TV host Craig Ferguson, who was unaware of the vehicle's cultural prominence.
Rather than keep it mundane, Leno and Ford overhauled the entire SUV, building custom panels, body and performance modifications, and most notably, the installation of a 5.2-litre supercharged V8 engine derived from Ford’s then-fastest street-legal car, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.
The custom 1968 Ford Bronco was displayed at the 2019 SEMA show in Las Vegas, with Leno previously stating the SUV “was an iconic vehicle that was many things to many people”.
“The Bronco was bought to use on the farm or to take your date to the prom, and was comfortable in these environments. The idea of having a classic Bronco upgraded with modern handling, performance and braking really makes it the best of both worlds,” he said
Fresh off the heels of her Coachella headliner set, you may be surprised to know Lady Gaga is also a fan of the Bronco, with the 39-year-old pop star using a blue Ford Bronco convertible as a daily driver on the streets of Malibu, California.
Most notably, Gaga was seen driving the SUV, top-down, of course, after passing her driver's test in 2016, where the A-list singer was cruising down the streets of Los Angeles.
Though the famous singer and actor has been seen numerous times driving the vintage SUV, the Bronco made an appearance on Netflix’s documentary dubbed Gaga: Five Foot Two, when she accidentally rear-ended the Mercedes C-Class sedan belonging to famous music producer, Mark Ronson.
While Sydney Sweeney might be busy building her Hollywood repertoire, the 27-year-old actress is a certified petrolhead. Sydney’s passion for cars is well known in the zeitgeist, with the celebrity sharing her mechanical knowledge on her TikTok page, Syd’s Garage.
The Euphoria actress previously collaborated with Ford on a custom Mustang, but it’s her love for her cherry red 1969 Ford Bronco that has the Drive office talking.
Speaking to US publication Hypebeast, Sweeney said the Ford Bronco “has always been a dream car of mine”.
The A-list actress purchased the SUV in February 2021, and in her words, “It has a lot of purposes. To challenge myself, cross off a dream of mine, and have a perfect car for when the sun’s out”.
It wasn’t long before Sweeney started to modify the Ford Bronco to her taste, with the 27-year-old celebrity working on changing the vehicle’s transmission from manual to automatic, brakes, leaf springs, and interior.
When he wasn't selling out shows worldwide, Kevin Hart was sighted driving numerous Ford Broncos over the years. The famous actor and comedian is known for splurging on customising his SUV.
Hart's personal 1977 Ford Bronco, which was featured on the Jay Leno Garage show, was put up for sale through US-based auction house Barrett-Jackson in 2021.
The auction site said the comedian's Bronco was powered by a 5.8-litre V8 engine mated to a three-speed automatic transmission. The Bronco was modified to better suit off-roading, as evident by the higher stance courtesy of a lift kit and upgraded suspension package.
In the interior, Hart's Bronco featured custom reclining front bucket seats, a back bench, door panels, dash and roll bar pads upholstered with leather.
Additionally, the car also featured a matching body roll cage and three-point seatbelts for added safety.
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
