Why The ICON Is The Most Sought-After Restomod Bronco

If you're an avid Bronco enthusiast, the name ICON probably means a lot to you. After all, this is the company that singlehandedly introduced the restomod concept to the classic car market and established its vision of what the perfect Bronco should look like.

At first, ICON was criticized for its expensive approach, but once you fully understand owner Jonathan Ward’s vision and come to appreciate his meticulous attention to detail, you'll get why these cars cost as much as they do -- and why they're worth every penny.

Designed and built-in in Los Angeles, ICON Broncos are probably the most popular and sought-after restomod Broncos  on the current, red-hot market. While the company does sell several other products, like refurbished classic Land Cruisers and ‘40s style cars with modern specs, their Bronco line is most exciting of all and, when it was introduced, it set the template for what a high-spec restomod Bronco should be.

The only thing that the original 1966 to 1977 Bronco and an ICON Bronco have in common is their design, and the company tries to source original and rust-free bodies for their projects whenever possible. However, because of how largely ineffective rust protection measures were back in the day, this is becoming harder and harder to achieve. 

Upon contacting ICON to get your own project started, you'll be asked to decide what package you'll want -- this determines the direction you'll be taking with your build. Among the choices are ICON's “New School” or modernized Bronco, with LED headlights, modern bumpers, matt-finished grille and an assortment of the perfect blend of retro and futuristic details. Next in line is “Old School,” which retains the Bronco's original appearance, while bringing it back to an optimum, brand new appearance through a painstaking restoration.

The third option -- and this is our favorite -- is the “Derelict,” which preserves the patina of the original body, and keeps dings, surface rust, and minor scratches in place for a charmingly authentic, “tried and true” look. All options are available in all body styles the original Bronco was offered. 

Regardless of the condition it may be in, the Bronco's original chassis is not up to the task of handling enhanced modern power, so ICON sources custom-made chassis from renowned fabricator Art Morrison, a very familiar name in the world of custom and restomod cars.

New front and rear suspensions are mounted, along with Fox racing shocks, coil springs, and adjustable anti-roll bars. The twin-stick Atlas II transfer case and Currie axles, based on the Dana 44 front and 60 rear, complete the chassis and suspension package.

As far as the drive train is concerned, ICON is keen on keeping things "brand-proper" with the  Ford 5.0-liter Coyote V8 as the center point of each of their builds. With its featured 460 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, this high-revving V8 is more than capable of making the reborn Bronco very fast and capable, both on and off-road.

Customers also have the choice of a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic, along with various other options.

Beyond this point, everything else is customizable. This means that customers can choose wheels, tires, paint, details, interior, finish, equipment, and so on.

With a starting price of around $200,000, an ICON Bronco can quickly exceed $300k, which seems like an insane amount of money. But then again, this is an insanely cool and capable machine.

Jonathan Ward builds its Broncos with impressive off-road performance in mind and encourages its customers to take their vehicles off-road, despite their pristine condition. Most owners do so only reluctantly, since an ICON Bronco is so expensive, but those who take this plunge are in for the thrill of a lifetime.