One of my favorite car fads and eras was the custom van era of the 1970s; it was a uniquely irrational and unhinged time, and in the automotive world, that’s really saying something. These vans were targeted at young people, and while the performance and bold styling were crucial elements to marketing these things, so was the hinted subtext of all the somewhat illicit and maybe lascivious good times one could get into thanks to the fact that you could be driving around in a mobile room, completely slathered in shag carpet. In this particular situation, though, there’s something that feels a little bit, um, off.
The ads for these sorts of vans were usually done in a very specific style, colorful and exuberant kind of Peter Max-style that is probably exactly what you’re picturing when anyone combines the numbers between 1970 and 1979 and the word “van.” In this era of overwhelming grayscality, this sort of aesthetic feels alive and vibrant and fun.
I mean, look at this:
I do like the emphasis on fat tires, though. That’s something we’ve lost, as a culture. Also, the lady commenting on someone being a “seat freak” is a little weird. Maybe arousing?
Anyway, let’s look inside:
All pretty expected stuff. Though the “NEXT BEST THING TO COMPUTER DATING” is a bit unexpected. I guess it was a thing at the time? But I think mainframes were involved. Possibly punch cards.
So, there’s something called the “Dodge Van Clan,” a club for Dodge exciting van owners. I think the term “clan” for a group has been a little ruined, but at least it’s spelled with a “c.”
The Van Clan is a little confusing – that “BUILT BY THE DODGE VAN CLAN” muddies the waters; was the Van Clan for the people at the factory, or for the owners? Maybe both?
Then we get to this bit of Van Clannery:
The Van Clan had a newsletter called “Street Talk,” they had a “trip interruption guarantee,” which I’m not sure I fully understand, same goes for “auto theft reward protection.”
But the one that feels the strangest is “Legal defense reimbursements.” What did this mean? Was there a fund to pay for your lawyer or fines if you were, say speeding? I mean, these are dudes buying vans slathered in carpet, so when it comes to legal issues, I think speeding is being very, um, demure.
I’ve been trying to figure out what the hell is going on here, but so far, no luck. Do we have any old Van Clanfolks around who know what the hell this was? Was it a van owners’ legal defense fund? Was this a thing?
This world, she’s so full of wonder and mystery.
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In 1975 I helped a friend start a custom van shop. He did some pretty wild conversions one of which was featured in Hot Rod Magazine that summer.
Most of the vans that he did were built for dealers who then sold them on their lots.
It was a good business until the gas shortage in 1979 shut down the demand