Every November, the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association Show — better known simply as “SEMA” — rolls into Vegas. In addition to attracting some of the biggest brands and names in the industry, this world-famous auto show also routinely plays host to some of the most involved and/or impressive one-off builds we see each year. As such, any time that a SEMA-displayed build pops up for sale, we tend to take note. And such is the case with this previously SEMA-shown Bronco Badlands off-roader born out of a collaboration by a legendary Southern California shop and a Grammy Award-winning rock band.
The Basics
This SEMA-shown custom is constructed around a 2023 Ford Bronco Badlands donor that’s been treated to a host of custom details and an enormous slew of top-shelf aftermarket bits. Engineered for car camping, overlanding, and hardcore off-roading, the Bronco build was carried out by Southern California’s Galpin Auto Sports, with some help from the guys that make up rock band Imagine Dragons. This one-of-one vehicle was built for last year’s SEMA Show, though is now looking for a new home.
The Powertrain
Though almost no modifications have been made under the hood, that’s not a bad thing, as the off-road and adventure-ready donor left the factory with the Blue Oval’s twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 which is good for 330hp and 415ft-lbs of torque. The engine also boasts a Roush air induction system and a Magnaflow Overland Series cat-back exhaust. The EcoBoost V6 comes bolted to a 10-speed automatic transmission sounding power to all four wheels. The thing also benefits from Ford’s available Sasquatch Package which adds electronic locking front and rear differentials.
The Cabin
Though the interior of the Bronco has been kept largely stock, its seats have been retrimmed in tan leather seats with quilted black inlays courtesy of Katzkin. Other additions to the cabin include custom auxiliary accessory switches, a sound-damping headliner, and a Rockford Fosgate sound system. The build’s rear cargo area has also been fitted with a Dometic CFX3 refrigerator and freezer set on a sliding Front Runner rack, as well as a drop-down tailgate table and cargo drawers.The project also retains the donor’s Lux Package, and as such features a wireless charging pad, Ford’s Co-Pilot360 technology, adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera system, remote start, and navigation with a 12″ SYNC 4 infotainment touchscreen display, just to name a few.
Exterior Customization
The entire vehicle has been cloaked in a retro-inspired Eruption Green Metallic livery complemented via removable top and roof panels painted in gold. The build’s 17″ Fifteen52 aluminum wheels (which come shod in 37” Toyo Open Country tires) have also been painted in the same gold hue, as has the SUV’s grille. Furthering the vehicle’s conduciveness to off-roading and overlanding are Body Armor steel bumpers fore and aft, Oracle LED head and taillights, auxiliary LED lighting from RIGID Industries, a WARN VR Evo 12s winch, a receiver hitch, front and rear tow rings, fender tie-down anchors, wheel arch extensions, and a Recon Recovery Kexaa rooftop tent, a roof ladder, and awning all set on a Front Runner roof rack.
Off-Road Upgrades
Taking an already off-road-capable SUV and cranking its go-anywhere capabilities up a few notches, the build’s laundry list of aftermarket components is as lengthy as it is premium. The Bronco now sports a top-of-the-line set of Bilstein coilover paired with Camburg billet front upper control arms and rear trailing arms, as well as steel skid plates, an electronically controlled front sway bar, a matching spare mounted on a swing-out tailgate, and upgraded Wilwood calipers and ventilated rotors.
The Beneficiary
The funds generated by the sale of this SEMA-exhibited build will go to the Tyler Robinson Foundation — a charity that aims to financially and emotionally assist the families of kids and teens suffering from a cancer diagnosis. The charity takes its name from a young teen cancer patient who, prior to sadly passing away, forged an unlikely friendship with the guys in Imagine Dragons, leading them to assist with the creation of the non-profit.
Included Extras
The truck also gets bespoke “Imagine Dragon Special Edition” badges along with custom “Imagine Dragons 1-of-1” door sills. Alongside the vehicle itself, the sale also includes a special Hero Firefly guitar formerly owned, played by, and signed by members of the band. The Bronco is also sold with a handful of camping accessories such as Wolf Pack Pro cargo boxes, two Expander folding chairs, and a collapsible grille and fire pit.
Spec Sheet
Type: SEMA-Exhibited Off-Road Charity Build
Beneficiary: Tyler Robinson Foundation
Model Year: 2023
Brand: Ford
Model: Bronco Badlands
Builder: Galpin Auto Sports
Collaborator: Imagine Dragons
Engine: Twin-Turbo 2.7L V6
Power: 330HP & 415FT-LBs
Pricing & Availability
Galpin Auto Sports’ 2023 Ford Bronco Badlands-based Imagine Dragons 1-of-1 build is currently up for grabs on Bring a Trailer, where (as of the time of writing) bidding has reached $78,000 with two days remaining on the sale.
Recap
2023 Ford Bronco Badlands “Imagine Dragons” By Galpin Auto Sports
Southern California’s Galpin Auto Sports is putting one of its latest SEMA builds — a spare-no-expense Bronco Badlands-based off-roader — up for auction in order to raise money for a pediatric cancer charity.
