1978-1979 Ford Bronco grows up

Since the Bronco's inception, the SUV segment started taking off.

This newly grown boy also sold like gangbusters, with Ford pushing 77,917 Broncos out the door in 1978 and 104,038 in 1979.

But compact SUVs weren't the object of everyone's attention by the late 1970s -- larger models grew in popularity, despite the aftereffects of the 1973 oil crisis.

But with vehicles like the Chevrolet K5 Blazer and the Jeep Cherokee, Ford needed to react to the market's whims.

And so, the second-generation Bronco grew -- a lot. 

Borrowing its chassis from the F-100 pickup (a trend that would continue in later generations), the 1978 Bronco added an entire foot to its wheelbase, in addition to growing 11 inches wider and 4 inches taller.

A Dana 44 solid front axle worked alongside a Ford 9-inch rear axle, making this the last Bronco without independent front suspension.

Four-wheel drive remained standard for the second-gen Bronco.

A three-door wagon was the only body style on offer this time around.

For the second generation, two V8 engines lived under the Bronco's hood.

Both the 5.8-liter and 6.6-liter V8s produced nearly the same horsepower (156 and 158, respectively), but the 6.6-liter had the torque advantage at 277 lb-ft versus the smaller V8's 262 lb-ft.

In 1979, both variants picked up a catalytic converter that slightly affected horsepower output.