This Classic Coyote-Powered Bronco Has a Modern Six-Figure Price Tag

Talk about jaw-dropping. Since Ford released the news they’d be reviving their cult-favorite Bronco, the market to purchase one, new or used, has been on fire. There was an announcement recently that the new Bronco is sold out for years due to popular demand, causing the used market to boom. This is evident by the recent sale of one for an obscene amount of money.

The used truck market is currently out-of-control, but this second-generation ’79 Bronco that sold in original condition in 2016 for an undisclosed amount is on another level by netting $213,000 recently. That’s not a typo. For comparison, a brand new fully-loaded F150 goes for around $75,000, which is by no means cheap, but with all the bells and whistles, significantly less than this classic.

It achieved this crazy six-figure sum because the owner decided to completely overhaul the Bronco and swap out its stock 351M for a sweet 5.0L Coyote engine that boasts 435 horsepower and 400-pound-feet of torque. Could you imagine if the new Bronco had a Coyote option?

To complement the upgraded engine, the owner added a six-speed 6R80 automatic transmission and Atlas transfer case. They also equipped it with a Ford nine-inch differential in the rear to handle the upgraded powerhouse. Don’t worry, the intention wasn’t for speed as they added some off-road upgrades with new shocks and Wilwood disc brakes to ensure the stout truck stops on a dime.

A rugged-looking Bronco that’s patina’d would have sufficed, but the owner decided the cosmetics on both the interior and exterior were important too; they were right based on the price tag. The truck was painted with a Dark Jade, and the interior has a carpet and trimmed seats to match. The dash was kept mostly original, which pays homage to its late ’70s style.

While it’s pretty common for a classic Bronco with modern upgrades to yield in excess of $100,000, this truck set an unprecedented bar for these trucks. On the website Bring a Trailer, even the papers from the build detail the tedious work the shops did on it. It keeps track of everything, including how many wooden paint mixing sticks were used.

The most expensive publicly sold Bronco to date was a 1971 that sold for $192,000 last April. At that price point, people were in shock, but a second-generation selling for so much isn’t common. However, that may be a sign of what’s to come in the collector market.

If you have the money, more power to you. It’s a lot to pay for an old truck, but finding them has become a bit more of a challenge today. Owning a part of history is a privilege, and it doesn’t sound like this will be the last time we hear about Bronco’s breaking records.