‘Tooned’—Rod Hall’s Stroppe-Built Ford Bronco
- Images by Shawn Glad
In 1969, rising star Rod Hall lined up at the start of the NORRA Mexican 1000 in a Ford Bronco prepared by Bill Stroppe. Unlike his previous competitions in a Jeep CJ-5, Hall, alongside teammate Larry Minor, aimed for the top of the podium—and achieved it. Their victory marked not only a class win but also an overall victory in the race.
Built by Stroppe in 1969, this Bronco was among Ford’s first entries into organized off-road racing. Hall’s switch from a Jeep to the Bronco under Stroppe’s guidance was a turning point, leading to an unprecedented win at the Baja 1000—becoming the first 4-Wheel drive to win the race outright, a record that stood for over 50 years. The Bronco’s legendary status was further cemented when Mike Pearlman revived the Mexican 1000 as a vintage rally, leading Hall to restore the Bronco and, alongside his granddaughter Shelby, finish impressively in their class after a grueling 1,300 miles.
Rod Hall, an icon of off-road racing, lived by the mantra, “To finish first, first you must finish.” This philosophy underpinned his legendary career and resonated within the off-road community.
My appreciation for this Bronco was ignited when Jay Leno featured it on his YouTube channel. Until then, “Big Oly,” another Stroppe-built Bronco, had my vote. However, the endurance and legacy of Hall’s Bronco, surviving 54 years of history, have made it a new favorite.
Illustration by Shawn Glad
About the Illustration
Similar to caricature drawings of people, ‘Tooned’ drawings of automobiles have become popular among automotive artists. Hot Wheels even has a line of “Tooned” vehicles within their 1/64 die-cast cars available at grocery and convenience stores. I must admit, I’m drawn to this style but I don’t often set out to sketch with this in mind. It’s really just a by-product of sketching for the fun of it—allowing me to be less concerned with exact proportions and every last detail, which frees me to simply enjoy the process. After all, my day job is all about precision and exacting standards, so it’s refreshing that my free-time activities are less so. With that in mind, please go easy on critiquing the details of my illustrations of Rod Hall’s iconic Bronco. They are ‘mostly’ accurate but definitely exaggerated, stretched, or altogether ‘Tooned.’
Ink Sketch by Shawn Glad
Process Drawing Sketched in Procreate
I’m a big fan of the iPad for drawing and sketching out ideas or just doodling when I need a break from the daily grind. If I’m using the iPad, Procreate is my go-to application for drawing. It features an intuitive interface with a clean UI, but one cool feature is that it records your drawings from the beginning. This means you can watch a replay of your drawing months or years later, which is a great way to pick up some pointers or, in my case, reflect on how laborious some drawings can seem. It’s great fun, so I’ll include the video for anyone interested in seeing my process unfold.
Cheers!
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