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The first example of a popular enthusiast model is a surefire investment, with future collectibility pretty much guaranteed. But that also means having the patience for said investment to mature, something the buyer of the first-ever Ford Bronco Raptor apparently did not have. And that means somebody else just got a great deal.
Like so many other hype-worthy new cars and trucks, the first customer 2022 Bronco Raptor was auctioned off for charity. It originally crossed the block at Barrett-Jackson’s 2022 Palm Beach auction, generating $350,000 for the National Forest Foundation and Outward Bound. After selling again at another Barrett-Jackson auction in 2023, it went live on Bring a Trailer on September 21 and garnered just $105,000. So the new owner got the first Bronco Raptor for less than a third of what the first owner paid four years ago.
Bring a Traile
Bring a Trailer
Bring a Trailer
Bring a Trailer
The Bring a Trailer hammer price isn’t even much more than what you can pay for a 2026 Bronco Raptor at a dealership. The base price is $81,994 with the $1,995 destination charge factored in. A few options could probably bump the out-the-door price of a new Bronco closer to $90,000. So the winning bidder effectively paid about $10,000 to say that their Bronco Raptor is the first of its kind. That makes the original auction price look even more excessive, although that buyer may have gotten a nice tax deduction from what was technically a charitable donation.
There’s no denying that this is a nicely spec’d Bronco Raptor. It’s finished in Code Orange with the exterior graphics package, and has matching Code Orange over Blue Onyx leather/suede upholstery, as well as the interior carbon-fiber package. And because the previous owners were so busy trying to flip it, the odometer has held steady at 99 miles.
Bring a Trailer
Bring a Trailer
Bring a Traile
Bring a Trailer
The Bronco Raptor’s place in history is also assured. Few off-roaders offer such a breadth of capability from the factory. Whether it’s high-speed desert running or technical rock crawling, the Bronco Raptor can do it all. That’s thanks to a twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter V6 producing 418 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque, churning 37-inch tires mounted to Raptor-specific suspension. Those fender flares aren’t just for show.
With all that in mind, it makes sense to want to own the first Bronco Raptor. It’ll probably be worth a lot of money someday. But that’s not the case today, when Ford is still selling the same SUV for less money without the need to outbid someone else to get one. That this Bronco Raptor has become an auction hot potato is yet another sign that car flipping has gotten out of control.
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Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he’s not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.
