Gateway Bronco - Innovation is Our Business
Innovation may seem odd to associate with classic Ford Broncos and pickups, but it is the driving force behind every vehicle that rolls out of Gateway Bronco. The trucks and SUV’s built in the Midwest modern manufacturing facility in fact are the symbols of American innovation.
That innovation can be traced to the company’s founder and CEO, Seth Burgett. He has a long history of innovation, including being the principal inventor of a medical device robot used in cardiology and neurology, performing surgeries around the globe using a joystick. More recently, Burgett was granted a patent for his invention of a set of headphones with physiological sensors, producing one of the world’s first heart rate monitoring sport headphones in partnership with Under Armour and JBL. Both an award-winning engineer and an Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year candidate, Seth has attended MIT, Stanford and holds an Executive MBA from the Olin School of Business of Washington University where he was awarded the Inspirational Leadership award.
When Burgett entered the professional world, he developed minimally invasive surgical techniques for neurology and cardiology. In 2016, after he sold a company that he’d built up, he rediscovered his passion for cars. Burgett bought two Shelbys in one day: a ’67 GT350 race car in Seattle and a barn-find ’66 GT350 near Washington, D.C.
“When I compared the trajectory of classic Bronco values to the Dow, S&P and NASDAQ, it was apparent that the heritage SUV’s would keep climbing,” said Burgett. “I convinced my wife that we should invest in them. Over the next six months, I bought 30 all-original first-gen Broncos. That was the genesis of Gateway Bronco.”
Burgett launched the business at the 2016 Carlisle Ford Nationals. He and his daughter drove across the country in an orange ’73 Bronco. They did something else unorthodox: the Burgetts invited people to follow along on Facebook.
“By the time we hit Nebraska, we had 33,000 followers,” explained Burgett. “That’s when I knew we were on to something. When I got home, I bought a 60,000-square-foot facility nearby, secured a license from Ford Motor Company and started building the ultimate SUV’s.”
Unlike the shops restoring and reconditioning heritage Broncos one at a time, Burgett once again innovated. He and his team “reimagined” 1966-77 Ford Broncos and later 1967-1972 F-Series “bump side” trucks, infusing them with modern technology to create the perfect blend of classic and contemporary. Starting with original donor vehicles, the craftsmen at Gateway Bronco recondition the off-road vehicles on a production line with quality checks each step of the way. Each vehicle comes equipped with a Ford V8 engine, a 10-speed automatic transmission along with suspensions and braking systems engineered to perform like a modern vehicle using proprietary solutions exclusive to the company. Each truck and SUV boasts exterior finishes, technology and custom interiors equal to those found in premium luxury car or SUV.
“We use the same supple leather as Porsche on the interiors, the same paint finishes found on million dollar hot rods and the same technology built into the hottest vehicles from Ford Motor Company,” explained Burgett. “And we recently even announced a first-generation Ford Bronco featuring a 5-speed manual engine with an electric GT motor and Tesla battery that provides a 200-mile range.”
Gateway can produce between two and four vehicles a month and meets the Certified Reconditioned Vehicle standards established by Ford. They are so good that Gateway Broncos includes up to a 7-year warranty.
Given that each truck is built per the owner’s specs, each one is special. One of the highest profile vehicles from Gateway Bronco was commissioned by a family foundation headed by rising NASCAR star Ryan Blaney. The tapped Gateway Bronco to build a one-of-a-kind 1974 Ford Bronco that was sold at Barrett-Jackson’s 2020 Scottsdale Auction to support the Alzheimer’s Association. It fetched an amazing $650,000, the most money yet spent on a classic Ford Bronco.
“I’ve always firmly believed in innovation, quality and delivering a world-class experience,” said Burgett. “That philosophy is the basis for everything we do today. That is why a truck or SUV from Gateway Bronco is both fun to own and offers the potential for tremendous collectability.”
For more information, visit www.gatewaybronco.com and follow us on Instagram