Icon's Ford Bronco

O.J. made Broncos infamous; Icon makes them classy

Icon caught our eye a few years back with a stunningly rugged resto of a vintage Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40. From our perspective, it was far more practical than a pure restorationâ€' as Icon specializes in modernizing while staying true to the original form, creating the best of both worlds. In short, Icon owners can have their cake and eat it, too – an awesome classic look with the performance and amenities of a modern vehicle. Well-known for its Land Cruisers, in recent years Icon has offered the same skills for Detroit-steel lovers with their Bronco (BR) rendition.

The Icon BR combines the boxy styling of a first-generation Ford Bronco (1966-1977) with a fuel-injected 5.0 Coyote V-8 Alloy engine that spits out 426 horses and 402 ft.-lbs. of torque. To get the power to the wheels, the engine is coupled with a five-speed manual transmission (or an optional automatic transmission), Atlas II transfer case, and Dana 60/44 axles available with or without ARB locking differentials. To bring you safely back to stationary, the Bronco features four-wheel disc brakes (Brembos are another option), while coil springs smooth out the ride.

Icon always keeps an eye out for detail, and the exterior is available in an infinite array of either traditional gloss or more Icon-appropriate matte finishes. With the body restored to factory-new perfection, complete with removable roof and doors, it is then topped off with an Icon-designed custom front bull bar bumper with LED lights and a Class II rear bumper with a single pivoting tire carrier. Hidden storage lockers hold gear, and a Warn 9.0RC winch can also be discreetly mounted up front.

To marry the power of the drivetrain and the rugged good looks of the exterior with modern interior comforts, owners can select upgraded Chilewich textiles, custom leather interior, and heated seats. Ultra-reliable Dakota gauges report MPH, RPM, oil pressure, fuel, temp, and volts. Even though the interior is swanky, it is intended to be used, and after a muddy day afield, feel free to hose out the muck polyurea covers the surface of the floor, which sports rubber drain plugs and a submersible floor-mounted dimmer switch. Secure your handgun in the "gun safe" powder-coated center console made from heavy-gauge stainless steel and this rig is ready for the field. Other interior options include high-end audio and navigation electronics, backup cameras, and USB power ports.

All Icon vehicles are custom, so the list of options is endless and pretty much limited only by the owner's imagination. According to Jonathan Ward, Icon CEO and lead designer, the most common Bronco year to start with generally is the birth year of the future owner. Current delivery times are around a year, and the average price is around $225,000. Damn. The story of my life: A day late and only $224,000 short.

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