You can now order a brand-new, first-gen Ford Bronco

With a new 2020 Ford Bronco rumored to debut at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show, and never-waning fanfare around the original 1966-77 Bronco, it would appear there's a market for these SUVs whether old or new. But what if you could have both? Now you can, thanks to a company called Gateway Bronco out of Hamel, Illinois.

Founded by mechanical engineer and entrepreneur Seth Burgett, Gateway Bronco began in 2016 as a Ford Bronco restoration company, but Burgett had higher ambitions. The company on Thursday announced it is now licensed by Ford to build new versions of the first-generation Bronco from scratch. "This is brand-new territory. Nobody has done this," Burgett says.

Gateway Bronco is already working on completing its first ground-up Bronco build, which it will debut at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auctions in January along with an Arizona-provided, 2018 reproduction VIN.

The first Gateway Bronco built from scratch will feature a 5.0-liter Ford Coyote V8, augmented with a Shelby supercharger and a six-speed automatic transmission along with four-link suspension, Brembo brakes and a genuine King Ranch leather interior. This debut build will be priced at $260,000, but if you're willing to be a little more conservative with your options, the starting price for one of these new-classic Broncos begins at $120,000. You'd better be patient, though, because order to delivery takes about six months.

If $120,000 is too high for you, a restomodded Gateway Bronco -- donor vehicle provided -- starts at $95,000. Gateway's restored Broncos come with a four-month turnaround time, but for more money, you can expedite that down to two months.

Acquiring a classic Bronco is a fantasy for many enthusiasts, but Gateway Bronco has just made it a possibility. With up to a five-year, bumper-to-bumper warranty backed up by modern engineering and manufacturing, that dream classic Bronco of yours just became a lot more practical, albeit pricey.

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