Kevin Hart has turned the humble Ford Bronco into a rolling time machine, blending vintage attitude with modern engineering in a way that feels both nostalgic and sharply current. His latest build starts with a brand new 2024 Bronco, then rewinds the clock with classic cues and custom details that echo the rugged trucks he already made famous. The result is a retro-styled monster that still behaves like a contemporary SUV, a bridge between the Bronco’s past and its tech-heavy present.
Seen alongside his earlier 1977 Bronco, the new truck reads less like a one-off indulgence and more like the next chapter in a deliberate personal design language. Hart is not simply collecting Broncos, he is curating a specific vision of what the nameplate should be in 2026: old-school in spirit, updated in substance, and unmistakably tailored to his taste.
From showroom fresh to custom canvas
Hart’s newest Bronco begins life as a 2024 model, which means it arrives from Ford already steeped in nostalgia. The current Ford Bronco was engineered with a clear nod to the original, its squared-off body, upright glass, and short overhangs deliberately echoing the first-generation trucks. Contemporary descriptions of the 2024 version highlight this Retro Design Appeal, noting how the styling pays homage to its legendary predecessor while layering in modern touches that improve both aesthetics and functionality. In other words, the factory truck is already a kind of time warp, a modern vehicle dressed in familiar lines.
Hart’s build takes that premise and pushes it further. The custom 2024 Bronco is described as being Designed and owned by Kevin Hart, which signals that this is not a casual spec choice but a fully considered project. Under the hood, it remains Powered by a 2.7-liter Ford EcoBoost V6 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, a combination that keeps the drivetrain firmly in the present even as the exterior and interior lean into a more classic mood. The truck rides on BFGoodrich all-terrain tires, reinforcing its off-road credibility while still fitting the retro-inspired silhouette that defines the modern Ford Bronco.
The 1977 benchmark that set the tone
To understand why this new Bronco feels like a time warp, I look back to the 1977 custom that first showcased Hart’s taste for old-meets-new. That earlier truck started as a 1977 FORD BRONCO, then was rebuilt into a high-riding resto-mod that balanced classic sheet metal with contemporary performance. Auction documentation lists key Details such as a V8 engine, a 3-SPEED AUTOMATIC transmission, a vivid RED exterior Color, and a BLACK interior, all of which underline how deliberately that build leaned into traditional Bronco cues while upgrading the mechanicals.
Performance hardware on the 1977 truck made the retro bodywork more than a styling exercise. For improved off-road capability, the Bronco was fitted with a lift kit and King coilover shocks, paired with red springs that visually tied into the exterior paint. Reports also describe power disc brakes and power steering, along with modern lighting like Rigid LED pods, all wrapped in a package that still looked like a classic two-door. Later coverage noted that the truck rode on 35-inch mud terrain tires and featured modifications that were carefully disguised with retro style, a combination that turned The Kevin Hart Bronco into a template for how to merge heritage with contemporary usability.
How Hart’s new Bronco rewrites his own formula
Against that backdrop, the 2024 custom feels less like a departure and more like a refinement. Where the 1977 build was a traditional resto-mod, the new Bronco starts with a modern platform that already integrates advanced safety systems, infotainment, and chassis engineering. The challenge, and the appeal, lies in making a current-generation SUV evoke the same emotional response as a vintage truck. The base vehicle’s Retro Design Appeal gives Hart a head start, but the custom work is what transforms it into the “time warp” presence suggested by its look and stance.
Hart’s own public comments reinforce that he sees these Broncos as daily-drivable expressions of personality rather than fragile collectibles. In a social media clip shared in Oct, he describes having what he calls the best car in America, referring to a vintage-style Bronco that he insists is an everyday car, not a garage queen. That mindset helps explain why his 2024 build retains the factory 2.7-liter EcoBoost and 10-speed automatic, components designed for reliability and ease of use. The truck may look like it rolled out of a different decade, but its core is tuned for regular use, not occasional display.
A celebrity truck that still nods to the trail
Hart’s Broncos also sit at an interesting intersection between off-road capability and urban reality. The 1977 truck, despite its lift, 35-inch tires, and sky-high stance, was described as an off roader that had never actually been off road. The red two-door featured a body lift and aggressive mud terrain rubber, yet it reportedly had not seen much mud or serious terrain by the time it crossed the auction block. That detail underscores a broader truth about many high-end custom 4x4s: they are built with trail-ready hardware but spend most of their lives on pavement.
The 2024 Bronco continues that pattern, but in a way that feels more honest about its dual role. The modern Ford Bronco platform is marketed as equally at home on rough terrain and smooth streets, a message echoed in promotional material that contrasts the original trucks splashing through rivers and snow with the current generation’s added horsepower and technology. The new Bronco is still turning heads, but it does so while offering the kind of comfort, connectivity, and safety that owners like Hart expect from a daily driver. His custom build, with its all-terrain tires and contemporary drivetrain, fits neatly into that narrative of a vehicle that can gesture toward the trail even if it rarely leaves the city.
Why this Bronco matters in the restomod era
Hart’s evolving Bronco collection also reflects a broader shift in how enthusiasts think about classic-inspired builds. The 1977 truck was a textbook resto-mod, a vintage shell hiding modern components, similar in spirit to other projects where older vehicles are Combined with modern power and luxury touches to create a premium driving experience. In that world, the goal is to blend heritage, performance, and technology in what one description calls flawless harmony, preserving the look while quietly rewriting the mechanical story underneath.
The 2024 Bronco flips that script. Instead of starting with an old body and new guts, Hart begins with a new Ford Bronco and layers on retro attitude, effectively reversing the usual formula. It is a move that mirrors how some custom builders approach tribute cars, where a modern or non-original base is reshaped to capture the spirit of an icon. One comparison notes that While a tribute is not a factory 442, a well executed build can blend performance upgrades with the iconic looks and sound of the real thing, delivering classic muscle car attitude with personal flair. Hart’s latest Bronco operates in a similar space, not pretending to be a survivor from the 1970s, but confidently channeling that era’s style through a contemporary lens.
Seen together, the 1977 and 2024 Broncos chart a clear trajectory. The first showed how far Hart was willing to go to modernize a classic, from suspension and steering to custom sound systems that even turned up on television segments with figures like Jay Leno in his Garage. The second shows how he now approaches the same idea from the opposite direction, starting with a thoroughly modern Ford Bronco and reshaping it into a retro-infused statement piece. In both cases, the trucks function as more than celebrity toys. They are rolling arguments about what the Bronco name should mean in an era when nostalgia, technology, and personal branding all share the same road.
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