Gateway Bronco’s 1968 Bronco Built for SOTF Veterans’ Charity

Brand new trucks are cool, but there’s always something special about the classics. Today, we’ll take a look at a beautiful 1968 Bronco built by Gateway Bronco, a specialty restoration shop in Illinois. This truck was created for the purpose of raising funds for the Special Operators Transition Foundation (SOTF), a non-profit that helps Special Operations veterans transition from the military into high-performing civilian careers. During the sweepstakes, which concluded at the end of January 2023, more than $580,000 were raised for the SOTF charity.

This 1968 Bronco features a matte dark blue exterior with matte Bronco-Ranger-style stripes, contrasted with an Italian distressed leather interior. A wood-rimmed, polished billet steering wheel maintains a classic appearance, but there’s also a touchscreen stereo and modern A/C system. Gateway Bronco says “this SUV has almost every option available” from its extensive catalog of Bronco upgrades.

The bed is lined with genuine barn wood and polished trim strips. Showing how much pride went into this build, the signature of the Senior Master Tech in charge of the project is burned into the wood on the tailgate. Gateway Bronco’s logo is also embossed onto the armrest.

Mechanically, no aspect of this Bronco remains untouched. The team started by swapping in a 5.0L Coyote V8 from a newer Ford Mustang, and then boosted the power even further with a Roush supercharger. Power is sent through a 10-speed automatic transmission and a pair of Eaton Detroit TrueTrac differentials to the wheels. Four-wheel Wilwood disc brakes help this classic Bronco stop like a new vehicle.

According to Gateway Bronco, the estimated total prize value was $338,779, but one lucky donor got it for a whole lot less than that. Daniel R., of Clearwater, Florida, was ecstatic to learn he was the winner:

Although the sweepstakes for this ’68 Bronco have already concluded, check out GatewayBronco.com to see some of the other classic Bronco builds and packages the company offers. For more information on the Special Operators Transition Foundation, go to SOTF.com.

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