O.J. Simpson: Bizarre Afterlife of White SUV Bronco, Most Infamous Car of 20th Century (Chased by Police, June 1994)

O.J. Simpson: Bizarre Afterlife of White SUV Bronco

What happened to the most notorious SUV of the 20th century?

With less than 40,000 miles on the odometer, it comes with luxurious leather interior and sports V-8 engine with 200 horsepower.

Its biggest selling point: Its previous owner was a retired NFL star who only drove it around town for errands–and one epic freeway police chase.

There was a trial, a glove, an acquittal, another 2007 arrest (this time a conviction) for armed robbery and kidnapping of sports dealers in Las Vegas.

But what about the white Ford Bronco?

In June 1994, that car captivated the nation, with 90 million viewers watch the live news coverage of the pursuit by Los Angeles Police Department cars along the 405.

It was two of the most riveting hours in TV history.

The Bronco in question didn’t actually belong to Simpson. Although O.J. had identical white SUV of his own, the one followed by police on TV belonged to Simpson’s friend and fellow NFL star Al Cowlings, who sat behind the wheel while Simpson, in the back with loaded gun, told him where to drive.

When the chase finally sputtered to a stop at Simpson’s Brentwood home, the car was confiscated by the cops and returned to Cowlings.

Cowlings never wanted to sit in it again. He asked Don Kreiss, a friend who worked for sports agent, to find a buyer.

Michael Kronick, a memorabilia collector, offered $75,000 for the car (he also wanted 250 autographed photos of Cowlings driving it).

In November 1994, just before jury selection in Simpson’s trial — Kronick was supposed to meet Kreiss and Cowlings. But Cowlings never showed up; he’d changed his mind.

According to 2014 investigation of the car’s history by USA Today, Kronick sued Cowlings over the deal and undisclosed settlement was reached in 1996.

By then, though, Cowlings had changed his mind and had sold the white Bronco for $200,000 to Michael Pulwer, “The Porn King,” owner of Paradise Visuals, an adult film company of the 1990s.

Around 2012, the Bronco resurfaced, making surprise appearances at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas (used to promote opening of sports museum called SCORE!) and at art exhibit in Greenwich, CT (featuring the works of Nate Lowman, an artist who had used images of topless Nicole Brown Simpson in some canvases).

It vanished again for another 5 years, until 2017, when it popped up on episode of Pawn Stars, the History Channel reality show about pawn shop in Vegas.

Simpson’s former agent, Mike Gilbert — now claiming ownership of the car, saying he purchased it from Cowley, who obviously hadn’t owned it in years — appeared on the show and attempted to sell the car for a cool million dollars.

Gilbert got an offer but for only half his asking price. So he turned it down and instead found the car another home.

Today, 30 years after leading police on that blockbuster car chase, the most infamous vehicle of the 20th century is finally parked in safe spot. It’s part of exhibit at the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, sharing showroom with John Dillinger’s 1933 Essex Terraplane and Ted Bundy’s Volkswagen Beetle.

Source: Hollywood Reporter