This old Ford Bronco has been given a new 5.0-litre Mustang V8

“If you want to have an authentic, real driving experience,” explains Icon 4x4 boss Jonathan Ward, “new vehicles just don’t offer the same feeling.”

Clearly a new engine does though, hence why this delightful 1974 Ford Bronco, the 100th such model Icon has restored, features a brand new 5.0-litre Coyote V8 from the new Mustang GT. Happy anniversary.

Yep, the one-off Icon Bronco 100 celebrates 100 old Broncos that Icon has returned to new life, trading its original six-cylinder heart with one from Ford’s iconic pony car. That aluminium V8 – good for 430bhp – is matched up to a ceramic-coated stainless steel exhaust system, so noise shouldn’t really be an issue. Unless you’re a neighbour.

The engine’s matched to a four-speed automatic gearbox with overdrive sending those horsies to all four wheels via a two-speed transfer case, and unsurprisingly some tweaks have been made to the chassis to cope.

Perhaps sensibly then, there are uprated ‘hydroboosted’ Brembo brakes, Fox racing shocks matched with Eibach springs, tunable sway bars and locking diffs. Other new items found their way into the Bronco 100 courtesy of the ‘Cactus Gray’ paint that features on the new Ford Bronco. Icon’s also applied its ‘Volcanic Black’ coating on the grille, mirrors, door handles and fuel filler cap.

It's been transformed inside too, via a collab with upholster Spinneyback: there’s now a ‘low maintenance’ leather covering the seats, bits of the door cards and cargo panels, said to be ‘near indestructible’. It’s finished with sprinklings of machined black aluminium adorning the dash, new pedals, a custom steering wheel and arm rests.

Elsewhere there’s an air-con unit from Vintage Air and better audio with Bluetooth capability. Fancy a similar one of your own? Icon says each Bronco series build starts at $200,000. But you’re getting much more than just a ‘new-old’ car.

“Our happy place is building vintage vehicles that are viable for modern roads and modern drivers but aren’t trying to be new cars,” Ward added. “It’s still a very visceral driver and machine relationship that isn’t trying to isolate drivers from the experience behind the wheel. In fact, part of the point of Icon 4x4 is to reconnect people back to the mechanical.”