Born out of the sheer need and desire to push boundaries, Big Oly wrote history at Baja 1000, where it came out victorious two years in a row, in 1971 and 1972, with further victories at the 1973 Baja 500 and Mint 400. Mind you, this was not your run-of-the-mill Ford Bronco.

What is in a name?

The nickname Big Oly came from one of the sponsors displayed on the car’s racing livery. That sponsor was the Olympia Brewing Company. What is more, Parnelli Jones, the man who drove Big Oly at Baja 1000, was known to come up with pet names for his racing cars, so a nickname was always to be expected. Name aside, Big Oly had to abide by Jones’ racing creed, which at that time revolved around three words.

Faster, Stronger, Lighter

Big Oly was powered by a Ford Windsor V-8 good for up to 390 horsepower. Married to the engine was a modified Ford C6 B&M hydro transmission. Fiberglass and aluminum made up most of the bodywork, while a split windshield was installed to reduce the amount of dust that reached inside. The whole build was 154 inches long and 72 inches wide, with a sportscar-like dry weight of just 2,620 pounds (or about 1,188 kilos).

Other than brute power and lightness, Big Oly was a show of smart packaging. The roof itself became one big wing, we already mentioned the dust-repelling split windshield, and the car even had two integrated thermos jugs for storing water so that the driver and co-driver remained well-hydrated throughout the race. Gasoline was stored in two 22-gallon cells and the whole build was supported by a chromoly spaceframe.

In case you are into old Broncos with a strong racing pedigree, Big Oly will be auctioned during Mecum’s Indy 2021 event held between May 14 and May 22 in Indianapolis.