This carbon-fibre-bodied vintage-looking rig rocks a modern Ford chassis underneath, making it way more usable than the original
Everyone wants a classic 4×4. Their square-jawed good looks have made them quite the fashion accessory, and it’s now not uncommon to see models from major fashion brands posing alongside vintage SUVs. They hearken back to a more honest America, a symbol of hard work, grit, and the resilience of the working class. They have a blue-collar sensibility like blue jeans or a Carhartt jacket. Everyone wants a classic 4×4. Until they actually drive one.
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Most people realize pretty quickly that these fetching old workhorses don’t drive like a new SUV. Their solid axles wobble over every bump, and drum brakes make slowing down an exciting process. This would be more of an issue if they could even get up to speed in the first place. Their super-low gearing, combined with the low-revving engines, means their cruising speed is decidedly south of modern norms. And Gateway CEO Seth Burgett has driven them more than most.
The trip was an incredible experience for both of them, and Burgett has turned it into an annual tradition with his eldest daughter. But though the trip was enjoyable, Burgett couldn’t help but notice all the ways in which his classic Bronco was deficient for use in the modern world. To make a very long story short, Burgett ended up re-engineering his classic Bronco, then forming a company that could apply those same fixes to cars for clients. The resulting product is called the Gateway Bronco.
There are actually three different models in the Gateway Bronco lineup. The gateway to the Gateway experience is the “Fuelie” model. This model uses a completely restored original-style chassis with solid axles front and rear, along with leaf springs out back. Of course, the aesthetics of the car are completely bespoke, and the interior especially is highly customizable. Underhood is a fuel-injected V8. The Fuelie will set you back US$180,000 (about CDN$249k) and comes with a three-year warranty.
Going one rung up the ladder you’ll find the “Coyote Edition.” As name implies, this trim is motivated by a 5.0L Ford “Coyote” V8, similar to what you’d find in a modern Mustang. The major upgrade here is that the Coyote Edition is underpinned by a custom Kincer chassis, which features a four-link coilover suspension set-up front and rear. This chassis, notably, is still solid-axle. You also get fully modern brakes on all four corners. For all this rugged greatness, you can expect to pay US$250,000 (CDN$345,000), but it comes with a five-year warranty.
My test unit was the very top of the Gateway product lineup: The Luxe GT. In my opinion, this is the model that sets Gateway apart from the other makers of restomod vintage 4x4s. What most people do is take the original 1960s frame and do their best to adapt modern parts to it. This approach does work, but you’re still butting up against the limitations of a nearly 60-year-old design. Gateway has gone the other way for its top-tier model. It actually uses a modified version of the Ford T6 frame that underpins the current Ranger and modern Bronco.
The top-line model comes with a lofty price to match: US$400,000, which works out to a cool CDN$552,000. And that’s before you add pricey options like the carbon-fiber body our test car used. That’s right, a full carbon-fiber body.
That modern frame needs to be shortened and narrowed to correctly fit the classic Bronco, but the result is a chassis with 70% greater stiffness. That frame also brings with it a multitude of modern niceties like traction control, anti-lock brakes, and a fuel tank that no longer doubles as a bumper. Gateway touts its Bronco as the safest one you can buy, because the modern frame has actual crumple zones, unlike the original.
The other huge advantage of using the modern frame is that you get independent front suspension instead of a solid axle. This greatly improves handling and highway manners.
I had a chance to try out those highway manners on a beautiful coastal road just south of Monterey, California. Now a winding road with a 400-foot drop to the sea on one side isn’t typically my favourite place to drive a 1970s 4×4, but as I’ve explained, there isn’t much from the ’70s in a Gateway Bronco other than the style!
The Coyote V8 makes its presence known constantly. Though there are two modes on the optional bimodal exhaust, the choices seemed to me in effect to be either “loud” or “even louder.” The kind folks at Gateway assure me they can tailor your exhaust to the volume you prefer, but for me, this was too much, and I left it in “quiet mode” for my video so you could maybe hear my voice.
The biggest surprise for me was that it didn’t drive like a modernized classic. It drove like a brand-new Bronco two-door wearing a classic body. The big miracle, here, is the independent front suspension. It has so much better roadability than anything new or old that I’ve driven with a solid front axle. This vintage Bronco tracks straighter and nicer than a new Jeep Wrangler. But don’t go thinking it’s been transformed into a sports car.
The huge off-road tires, lifted ride height, and long-travel suspension all work against it in the corners. There’s plenty of body movement, and it kinda drives like a non-AMG Mercedes G-Wagen. But in my opinion, even though the Ford V8 will roar to 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 5.3 seconds, it doesn’t strike me as a vehicle I want to drive quickly.
The joy is feeling the wind in my hair through the open top, listening to that V8 rumble bouncing off the cliff-side, and feeling the narrow, smooth wooden steering wheel in my hand. Some cars make you want to drive fast, but the Gateway Bronco is one that encourages you to slow down.
The biggest surprise for me was that it didn’t drive like a modernized classic—it drove like a brand-new Bronco two-door wearing a classic body
Even when parked, there’s so much to take in looking at the Gateway Bronco. For example, the door hinges are not standard Ford units: they are actually a patented, billet version of Burgett’s own design, stronger and smoother than the originals. What appear to be old-fashioned window cranks are actually billet switches for power windows. Modern inertia-reel seatbelts are integrated into the roll bar. Drop the tailgate and you’ll find barn wood instead of the expected carpet. It’s an optional design finish (one of many) and on this exact model, it features an ornate wood carving design in the centre.
You have a lot of options when it comes to buying in this upper-level niche. For me, the integration of the modern chassis on the Gateway Luxe GT models is their standout feature. It brings the burly Bronco firmly into the modern era, and makes it into something that can be driven every day. “Our customers typically aren’t ‘car people,’ but they do love cars,” explains Burgett. A Gateway Bronco gives these people exactly what they want: vintage style with endless personalization options, and zero compromises for every day usability.
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