By Jeff Glucker
The greatest pitchman who ever lived wasn’t trying to sell you on rich Corinthian leather. This isn’t a story about some random Joe and his Isuzus. And despite his dulcet tones, Don Draper and his Benz ads have got nothing on the original superstar vehicle sales hero. Sadly though, there’s a good chance you haven’t heard about him because his story has been lost to time. But now is when we change that. This is the story of John Bronco.
Here’s a brief look at Bronco’s history, at least what we know, directly from the website JohnBronco.com:
Some have said that if you were famous before the internet, you might as well never have existed. Such is the case for John Bronco, the greatest pitchman who ever lived. In 1966, Ford tapped him to race their new prototype SUV at the Baja 500 in Mexico. Not only did he win, but he gave a rousing speech that rallied a nation. Legend has it that Ford named the new car “Bronco” after John, made him the face of their campaign and skyrocketed him to stardom.
His commercials were on every channel and his jingle went triple-platinum. John launched his own cologne,
breakfast cereal, video game, action figure, you name it. He was the very embodiment of the American dream,
that is, until it all came crashing down.
Per Driving, the teaser was created to support a 37-minute mockumentary originally slated for release in April. That would’ve been at the Tribeca Film festival. Obviously that didn’t happen, and now we’re left wondering more about John Bronco. The always excellent Walton Goggins portrays Bronco while Dennis Quaid. Seriously, this looks like it could be absolutely hilarious and I hope we get to see the full-length version soon.
Ross Ballot 
Kamil Kaluski
So you’re saying that the most notorious Bronco pitchman EVER sort of disappeared for a few years?
https://uploads.metropoles.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/20124137/O-J-05-GettyImages-168799032.jpg
I’m certain this is a clever piece of Ford marketing, so the full length version has to be released prior to the Bronco hitting showrooms.
I’m totally fine with that because the parties involved mean it will be actually funny. Walton Goggins is hilarious
Speaking as a child of the ’70s I can tell you it’s likely that John Bronco:
O.D.’d on quaaludes and Seagram’s 7, or
Was brainwashed by the Moonies, or the Krishnas, or
Died in a death-cult mass suicide, or
Died of AIDS before his publicist adopted a new social attitude, or
Recorded a disco version of “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and was shunned forevermore, or
Moved back to Ottowa and had a nervous breakdown, or
Some other stupid ’70s cliche thing happened to him, whatever.
Speaking as a child of the ’70s, and owner of an Econoline, I’ll let Mike Watt say it for me
Young Eddie Vedder just up there killing it and Watt’s bass sounds great
Watt’s voice has a heck of a lot of twang in it for a kid from San Pedro.
You forgot got a truckers license and lived on the road for the rest of his life.
Speaking as a child of the 70’s, I seem to remember a commercial with him driving his Bronco down Abbey Road and then through some strawberry fields, but was weird because it was all filmed in some sort of purple haze. It shook me. It shook me all night long.
One of my favorite tracks, from a stellar album.
One of my favorite tracks, from a stellar album.
Well, that’s not confusing or