If you’d love to own a classic Bronco, then Icon has the 4x4 for you.
Ford has been threatening to resurrect the Bronco since 2004 when a new concept SUV carted around the Detroit Auto Show to the mystified gasps of everyone. Ford remained silent for nearly 15 years until they once again whispered the name “Bronco” and then gave us a teaser image that looked like a tarp thrown over a few boxes with wheels at the bottom.
We still don’t know when or even if Ford will deign to provide us with yet another Bronco, but if your heart’s desire is for something old rather than something new, then Icon 4x4 has got you covered.
The Los Angeles-based company is celebrating 10 years of rebuilding old cars into new, bespoke examples of automotive ingenuity, and to commemorate the occasion they’re making a new line of SUVs appropriately titled the Classic Bronco Old School Series.
Icon already takes old, first-generation Broncos from the 1960s and 1970s and turns them into updated trucks with all new frames, suspensions, and engines. While Icon’s Bronco still retained the same body as the original, they updated the look to be slightly more modern.
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Now, Icon has decided to eschew modernity in favor of a more classic look. The original bodywork now retains the original chrome trim that came with it along with a new coat of glossy paint. It looks basically the same as the 1966 original.
Under the hood is an entirely different story. Icon tosses all the guts in favor of a Ford-sourced 5.0-L Coyote V8 which delivers 426 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. That’s over double the original’s 200 hp.
A five-speed manual comes standard while there’s a 4-speed automatic for those who are afraid of shifting gears. The body now sits on a custom Art Morrison chassis, while the suspension has become a set of 12-inch-travel Fox Racing coilovers and a pair of custom Dynatrac Dana-based axles. A Borla exhaust system gets rid of waste gases while a set of Brembo discs can be found on all four wheels.
Modern LED lights mimic the original bulbs while providing vastly improved illumination, while the interior remains mostly stock. The plastic parts that Ford used to save weight and cost are all replaced with aluminum knobs or steel switches.
Price wasn’t explicitly announced, but for a custom rebuilt car you can expect it to be somewhere north of six figures. But it’s without a doubt a more beautiful car that whatever Ford actually rolls out. If they ever get around to it.