The debut of the new Bronco, left, has caused auction prices of classic Broncos, right, to skyrocket.

The return of the Ford Bronco has stirred up all sorts of excitement among fans of the legendary nameplate, which is now promising to give Jeep a run for its money with its new hardware.

But the excitement also translates into other aspects of the vehicle business such as auction houses.

Barrett-Jackson, the Scottsdale, Arizona-based auction firm, reports that it is seeing a big increase in the price of old Ford Broncos held by car collectors.

(Bronco is back and it’s now part of a family.)

“To say the anticipation for the new Bronco was palpable would be an understatement,” Barrett-Jackson noted recently on its website.

A 1976 Ford Bronco was the third-highest seller during its recent online auction.

Craig Jackson, Barrett-Jackson CEO, said since Ford first mentioned it was planning to bring back all-new Bronco back at the North American International Auto Show back in January 2017, the collector car community witnessed a surge in demand for the classic first-generation Bronco.

“Ford announcing an all-new generation of Bronco certainly added fuel to the fire of the already growing interest in the classic models,” Jackson said.

Since the announcement was made, Barrett-Jackson has seen an 88% increase in the average sale price of classic Broncos, with record sales regularly being set.

(First Look: 2021 Ford Bronco.)

According to Jackson, a custom 1976 Bronco just brought in $195,250 at Barrett-Jackson’s “Online Only July 2020 Auction,” a record for that year’s model.

The Ford Bronco family comprises three vehicles, including the two- and four-door Bronco.

Additionally, according to a 2018 report by Hagerty, the average price of first-gen Broncos has risen 200% since 2008. Suffice to say Ford’s decision to reintroduce the serious off-roading credentials of the Bronco to the line-up was a brilliant move.

Jackson said the Bronco is not the only vehicle stirring interest among collectors. Younger collectors of what he describes as the “Play-Station Generation” is showing interest in late-model imports.

The hot-ticket items in the Barrett-Jackson 2019 Northeast Auction included a 1997 MKIV Toyota Supra, which shattered all expectations and sold for a then-unheard-of $176,000.

(First Look: 2021 Ford Bronco Sport.)

During Barrett-Jackson’s 2020 Scottsdale Auction, and it was BMW’s DTM-derived M3 that took center stage with quintet of 1995 E36 M3 Lightweights belonging to the late Paul Walker, selling for a combined $1,325,500. Individually, each of the five M3 Lightweights bested the previous record by more than $50,000.