Bronco

Make
Ford
Segment
SUV

We're all eagerly anticipating Ford unveiling the new Bronco, which is now confirmed to take place in the spring. But one particularly famous collector wasn't waiting around for the new model to come out.

Presented at SEMA this week and many years in the making, this 1968 Ford Bronco is owned by none other than Jay Leno, and resto-modded far beyond its original specification. And not the least of those modifications saw the beating heart of the new Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 shoehorned in under its hood, making this easily one of the most powerful classic Broncos on the road.

The story of Leno's classic Bronco dates back several years when fellow talk-show host Craig Ferguson left it parked in Jay's spot as a bit of a joke. Little did Ferguson realize how much it was worth, and that Ford was planning on bringing it back. Leno kept it in its unrestored, original condition ever since, finally partnering recently with Ford Performance and SEMA Garage to transform it into the beast you see here.

The long list of upgrades starts with the GT500's engine – a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 good for over 760 horsepower – but doesn't end there.

It also has a Tremec five-speed transmission, an upgraded four-wheel drive system and transfer case, and custom airbox, exhaust, gas tank, and cooling system. The chassis has been completely worked over with a coilover suspension, Fox coil-over shocks, Carolina driveshafts, Dutchman Motorsports axle shafts, 18-inch Detroit steel wheels shod with BFGoodrich tires, fresh sheetmetal crafted by LGE-CTS Motorsports coated in special two-tone Tonight Blue and white paint by PPG, a 3D-printed grille, and an interior upgraded with Eagle Ottawa leather, a Sony audio system, and Dakota digital instruments. It's a classic truck completely transformed, in short, and we could hardly think of a more suitable owner.