Late Summer Cars '24 Pt. 2

Here are some classics we found towards the end of Summer. This will be a combined collection of cars photographed in Rhode Island and New Jersey photographed by David and Sam during September. 

Above: (9/6/24) - 1968 Ford Econoline 200 (David)

School's back, and it's time to hit the books! While it was only syllabus week, I didn't have any specific homework to do this weekend, so I hit the road in my new location for the this school year. For the next few months, I will be living in Narragansett, RI, off campus with my friend from school. We found a small place with decent rent, and decided it would be a fun way to spend our last semesters at the university together. Anyways, I've digressed enough, and I presume you'd like to hear more about this old Ford van. 

This 1968 Ford Econoline was photographed close to the old Brickley's Ice Cream, which has since been renamed Baron's Ice Cream. I strongly recommend trying their ice cream if you haven't yet. Let's state the obvious: This van is in incredible condition. When I saw, it I was blown away by how well kept it was. The last Ford Econoline I saw of this generation was back in 2022, and that example had its entire front end bashed in! 

1968 notably marked the start of the second generation of the Ford Econoline van. Previously, from 1961 to 1967, its first generation featured a cab forward design, reminiscent of most American vans at the time. Think of the Chevy Corvair Greenbrier and the Dodge A-100. The new second generation Econoline featured a refined, conventional design, giving the van a more Americanized appearance, and less of a European inspired one. It's important to note that early American vans were heavily inspired by the Volkswagen Type 2 Kombis, which had become a massive success among blue collar workers, large families, and young adults who desired a personal sense of freedom in the 1960s. The big three American brands used these early vans to establish their images as a considerable alternatives to the Volkswagen Kombi.

The new Ford Econolines were introduced for the later half of the 1968 model year, due to the preceding 1967 UAW (United Auto Worker's) Strike. Unlike the previous generation, the Econoline was no longer based on the Falcon, but instead on the same chassis as the F-Series to market them alongside each other. GM and Chrysler followed a similar pattern with their vans as well. This allowed the Econoline to use the newly developed Twin I-Beam suspension, an independent suspension system used on Ford pickup trucks starting in 1965. The engine was also positioned forward, ahead of the cab, and also featured a hood, meaning the engine could no longer be accessed from inside the cab, a feature unique to the first generation models. The second generation Econolines would be produced until 1974, when the third generation would succeed it in 1975. 

Above: The State of the Custom Van in 2024 American Car Culture

When thinking of a "van," the likely resulting image in your brain will probably be a vanilla Ford Econoline or Chevy Express. A van which doesn't inspire any creative exterior designs with vibrant colors and pinstriping, and an interior as bare as a strip mall in the age of online retail. When looking at the evolution of vans in the US, it's probably the only consistent vehicle in terms of design. In the 1970s and 1980s, vans were all the hype among young drivers, which established their own corner in American car culture. These vans were customized with bright colors, striking pinstriping, and interiors. So, what happened to these cool vans? Where did the inspiration go? This brief analysis on the state of the van will investigate the change in van enthusiasm, and how it may have shifted to other forms of van.

Today, in contrast to the 1970s, if someone owns a van for non-commercial use, it's easy to associate them with the common stereotype of the "Creepy van," meaning they're a stalker or a killer. So, yes, vans today have gained a rather bad reputation, unless of course they're being used commercially. However, in the mid-twentieth century, that wasn't the case. 

Owning a van in the late '60s through the early '80s was considered to be a status symbol in the US. Van owners would paint them vibrantly and outfit them with lavish DIY interiors, with shag carpets, pull out beds, and stereo systems. This led to the introduction of the conversion van in the late 1980s, which were factory modified luxury vans, built to capitalize on the van craze from the years prior. They proved to be very popular as an alternative to the minivan.

The introduction of the conversion van also marked a turning point, in which the pendulum began to swing away from van culture being viewed as a positive subsection of American car culture. Vans became larger in size during this time, and due to the popularity of conversion vans, were seen as a luxury item. This unfortunately meant that criminals could use this to their advantage in luring children or unsuspecting victims into their seemingly appealing looking van. 

The 1979 "Tool Box" killer case is cited as the main catalyst to the negative aura surrounding vans. Serial killers Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris would kidnap their victims and kill them in their van, a 1977 GMC Vandura nicknamed "Murder Mac." With the heightened fear of, and amount of convicted serial killers during the 1970s, parents became more vigilant of their children walking alone during the 1980s.

It would be reflected in film as well. Silence of the Lambs features a scene in which the "Buffalo Bill" killer kidnaps his victim by luring her into his van when asking for help moving a couch from it. Home Alone, although not a horror film, features a scene in which the main character, Kevin McCallister is stalked and followed by burglars from their van. Later, shows like Criminal Minds reinforced fear of killers utilizing the van, which in turn reinforced the stereotype of the "Creepy Van." 

The final nail in the coffin would be hammered in deeply by the internet. Various images surfaced online of grainy photos of beat up vans with phrases like "Free Candy" sloppily painted on the side. These images would also be used to write horror stories or "Creepypastas," which were made up horror stories intended to sound real. Fake horror news stories would be created revolving around these images as well. With this in mind, the damage had been irreversible to the van in America. No longer could anyone casually own a van, and invite people to hang out inside it without sounding like a creep. So, van culture turned away from the American van as its blank canvas to customize, and moved on.

I would argue the Volkswagen Vanagons were able to save their reputation during the 1980s, and steered clear of the creepy van stereotype. They helped popularize a new section of van culture, known as "van life," a nomadic side of van culture, where enthusiasts would take a Vanangon outfitted with a Westfalia camper top and use it as their haven to travel around. Other typical vans included old European Sprinter vans, which were popular due to their tall cargo space and design.

In present day American car culture, the state of van culture still shares its roots with the original form from the 1970s. While it is still interested in customization of vans, it has shifted towards minivans and Japanese Kei vans. Popular minivans from the 1990s, like the Toyota Previa and Dodge Caravan, as well as imported mini Kei vans have inspired a new generation of van enthusiasts due to their affordability and niche area of American car culture as a whole. These Mini vans are outfitted similarly, with eye catching exteriors, custom rims, and loud stereo systems. Kei Vans, due to their small size, are often customized with rims and are lowered. Some get engine tunes, but remain mostly stock from what I've seen. 

So, to answer the question from earlier, van culture never really went away. While the American van is no longer the blank canvas for enthusiasts to customize, they have changed and found their new canvas within unloved minivans and tiny Kei vans. It reflects the state of American car culture as a whole, where muscle cars are starting to take the back seat, as European and Japanese sports cars begin to take the forefront as the new desirable classic cars for enthusiasts to maintain. 

Above: (9/9/24) - 1989 Ford Mustang "Jack" (David)

It was finally the first full week of classes, and I was taking a walk around campus to pass the time between doing my preparatory work for the day and the actual start of my first class of the day. While walking on the southern end of campus, I happened upon this exceptionally clean 1989 Ford Mustang, nicknamed Jack, as the license plate denotes. It was parked at Fogarty Hall, home to biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. Ironically, I took classes in the history of Jazz and Rock and Roll there. 

Anyways, before you is one of the nicest third generation Mustangs I've had the pleasure of seeing. This car has clearly been loved and cared for by its owner, and looks to be a very original example. Most third generation "Foxbody" Mustangs that I do see are usually not as well kept, and appear rather worn out. The last Foxbody Mustang I saw, a 1992 Convertible, represents this description. Now, as I've said in the past, I do greatly enjoy seeing survivors in that condition, as they tell a good story of the cars past. On the contrary, there's something to be said about a clean, beautiful example like this 1989 Mustang. It stands out from what I'm accustomed to seeing, and exceeds my expectations of a typical Foxbody Mustang. 

Above: Foxbody in Focus

This is probably the one of the most desirable version of a Foxbody Mustang. It's not the fastback or the GT model, but this Foxbody is touting some hardware that makes it just as good. This Mustang is equipped with the legendary Ford 5.0 V8 coupled to a five speed manual transmission! I'm sure who ever is driving this Mustang is enjoying every second of it. I sure would if I had access to a car this clean. 

Above: (9/15/24) - 1985 Pontiac Parisienne (David)

I had stopped off at the market to purchase a jar of sauce and pasta for my dinner. When I parked in the lot, I noticed a boxy sedan parked on the other side, slightly illuminated by a lamp post it was parked beneath. The pasta and sauce could wait, as I was now completely invested in what this boxy sedan could possibly be. Getting closer, the body shaping revealed itself to resemblant of a General Motors B-Body vehicle. At first, I thought it was an Oldsmobile 88, but then thought it was a Chevy Caprice, as the grille closely resembled that of a Caprice. It wasn't until I noticed the Pontiac Arrow in the middle of grille that confirmed the make of the mysterious B-Body.

I was excited that this car was a Pontiac. I've found that Pontiac has become a brand often overshadowed by the other GM offerings, like Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, and Buick. I don't see classic Pontiacs as much as do those other aforementioned brands, and also as much as I'd like to. 

Of the Pontiacs offered in the full size market during the 1980s were the Bonneville and Catalina. I assumed this was a Bonneville, but after a closer inspection, I noticed towards the bottom of the passenger side door the word "Risienne" which changed completely my state of excitment and approach to this car.

Above: A Canadian Pontiac?

The "Risienne" that I noticed on the side of the door was part of a broken badge, which if complete, would've spelt out "Pariessiene." The Pontiac Parisienne was the Canadian full size offering for Pontiac, which was produced from 1958 until 1986. With that in mind, it notably outlived its American Pontiac siblings, the Catalina and Bonneville, which ended production in 1981 and 1982 respectively. So if Pontiac discontinued its American full size offerings, why did they keep selling full size models in Canada? Well, here's where the story of the Pariessne becomes a little less Canadian. 

The 1980s brought major updates, redesigns, and reshaping across all GM divisions. Full size models were downsized to new, smaller platforms, and the full size models that did stay were often left unchanged or renamed a previously retired name, like in the case of the Buick Roadmaster a few years in 1991.

In the case of Pontiac, the full size Bonneville was downsized to the new G-Platform and renamed the Bonneville Model G. The other full size Catalina was discontinued in 1981. That left the full size slot in Pontiac's US lineup open, so a new or existing model name had to be used to market to the full size model. The Grand Prix was already used on the other G-Body model, and the LeMans name had just been discontinued with the introduction of the Pontiac 6000 on the newly developed FWD A-Body platform. However, Pontiac took a very unexpected step, and renamed their US full size model the Parisienne after their Canadian full size offering. 

It wouldn't be until researching the Parisienne for this entry that I realized that they were ever sold in the US. Like most who know of the model's existence, I thought sales were restricted solely to Canada, and that the car that I had found was a niche import. But this unawareness reflects Pontiac's state in the automotive industry and car culture at the time. Pontiac, in my perspective, had began losing relevance. It was always the odd person out in GM's hierarchy of brands. There was Chevy, GMC, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac, but Pontiac always seemed like a satellite brand compared to the other five. Yes, they had their hay day in the 1960s and 1970s with cars like the GTO and LeMans, in addition to the Firebird, which continued to be sold into the 1990s. Although, I feel that the Firebird was the only aspect that kept the brand somewhat relevant until their discontinuation. Otherwise, Pontiac was a perfectly ignorable brand in the 1980s. 

I think this lack of interest in the brand's stale offerings is how the American Parisiennes slipped under my, and probably many enthusiasts', noses when looking back on the legacy of Pontiac 14 years later after their discontinuation. For many, the last noteworthy classic Pontiacs were the final cars produced on the A-Platform in the late 1970s. Pontiac did continue to exist, even outliving Oldsmobile. Unfortunately, their presence was not felt as strongly as some may have wished. There are some really interesting and particularly niche models that the brand released during the 1980s and 2000s that unfortunately don't get the attention they should. Perhaps Pontiac's destiny was to always be the odd brand out in American car culture, hiding its secrets in plain sight, awaiting for the next person to discover the legend of the Red Arrow. 

Above: (9/17/24) - 1998 Volvo V90 Estate (David)

With a break from the norm of classics from the 1980s, we turn to a modern classic by today's standards, a 1998 Volvo V90. The Volvo V90 shares an interesting history, in one part with the Volvo 960 from 1995 to 1997, and the other with the current V90, which has been in production since 2017. So what is the V90's strikingly similar ties to the 960, and why did it disappear for so long? 

In 1995, the Volvo 940 was on its way to being phased out. The 240 and 740 were gone, and the much more modern FWD 850 had replaced them. This left the 940 as the only alternative to the the 850, and was also based on the traditional RWD platform that the 240 and 740 models had used. It also used the same old yet reliable "red block" engine. This left Volvo in a strange predicament. On the one hand, they had a brand new revolutionary model, and on the other, an older, but trusted model based on the 740's design from the early '80s. Something had to be done that was cost effective, but also looked the part alongside the new 850. The resulting plan was an updated 940, dropping the line in the US, and adding the 960 as the sole alternative option for the US market. For further reading on the 960's history, read our entry from Early Fall Finds '23. 

Now, let's fast forward to 1997, a rather pivotal year for the Volvo lineup. The 850 was updated and renamed the S70 (Sedan) and V70 (Estate/Wagon) for the 1998 model year. This inspired the 960 model range to follow suit, renamed the S90 and V90 for the sedan and estate models respectively. The change from a numerical designation to a lettered designation came from the idea to specify their model range, with the letter standing for the body style and the number standing for its platform size. "S" stood for sedan, "V" stood for versatility, or in that an estate car was more versatile than a sedan. Likewise, the number "90" meant it was large than a "70." 

A year later, following Ford's accumulation of Volvo in 1999, the S90 and V90 models were discontinued, as the new Volvo models for late 1999 and early 2000 would share parts with Ford products. The S70 and V70 would now be the largest model offered, with the S60/V60 offered as the primary alternative. 

After 18 years, the V90 returned as Volvo once again simplified their core lineup in 2017. The S60 and V60 were kept, but the S70 and V70 were replaced by the model they had phased out 18 years prior. The S and V90 were back on a new larger platform. They are currently the full size models offered by Volvo, and are planned to be replaced by an EV variant, the ES/EV90 in the near future. 

Above: (9/19/24) - 1971 Chevrolet C-10 Custom (Sam)

Above: (9/20/24) - 1988 Volvo 240 DL Estate (David)

Here is a very nice Volvo 240 Estate to brighten your rainy afternoon. It certainly shed some light on mine! This is one of the cleaner examples of a 240 I've seen so far, along with a handful of other examples I've photographed over the course of the 240's long reigning tenure on ONEC. 

This Volvo seems to have lived in Connecticut for its entire life. While it was visiting Rhode Island today, the antique vehicle Connecticut plates and the "Caldrello" dealer badge say otherwise. Of course, with the dealer badge present, I investigated Caldrello Volvo to see if they were still in business and if they were still selling Volvos. As my research would show, half of my question was true, the other half wasn't. 

Caldrello Volvo was a dealer of primarily Volvo and other European brands like Porsche, Mercedes Benz, Jaguar and Audi. In 1986, it attempted at expanding its domain to domestic brands, with idea of adding Ford to its lineup. However, in 1989, Caldrello Volvo would close its doors, and the lot would be bought by Secor Volvo and Saab. 

35 years later, this Volvo still resides in the hometown where it was born and raised. It's been cared for and has aged well, and continues to be done so as it travels around the northeast. Its dealer of origin is gone now, but in its place is another dealer of Volvos, continuing the legacy of selling legendary Swedish vehicles, that one day, will become their own classics just like this 240.