This story is sure to get you into the holiday spirit.
Ford's long history is well documented, but there are still surprises to be found in the archives. Recently, researchers unearthed a pair of photos that hasn't been seen since 1968 – and has never been seen by anybody outside of Ford Motor Company.
According to the Detroit Free Press, these photos has been hidden for so long that the names of the men in them have been lost to time. Well, two of them, at least. We're pretty sure we recognize the guy in the middle.
The photos show an early Ford Bronco nearly frozen solid inside of a cold weather test chamber. In fact, at first glance you may think that this is some kind of ice sculpture, but underneath it all, there was a Bronco.
The chamber will chill a car down to negative 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and engineers will leave the car there for several days to see if its starts afterward. The room is still in use today.
Cold weather testing (and hot weather testing) is serious business. It's important to see how these vehicles hold up in extreme conditions before consumers find themselves stranded in a vehicle they spent thousands of dollars on.
That doesn't mean that the engineers performing this particular test couldn't have a little fun, though. They invited Santa along for the ride, and, judging from the wrapped presents in the back, they were able to convince him to replace his sled and magic reindeer, at least temporarily.
During testing for the new Bronco, Ford called their old pal Santa back down from the North Pole to recreate these classic photos. Naturally, the new Bronco was red.
