Bike Ride 30

Above: 1990 Toyota Camry DX: Bono is that You? 

We start this bike ride off with some license plate humor. If you know your '80s and '90s rock bands, you'll get the reference above in the caption. For those of you who don't understand the reference, the license plate conveniently connotates a very popular rock band to emerge out of the 1980s, known as "U2." The lead singer of the band goes by his stage name "Bono." 

All jokes aside, this is a pretty clean classic Camry, with the only visible cosmetic damage being the passenger side quarter panel, which you can sort of see in the first photo of the car above. Technically speaking, this Camry was built on the V20 chassis, and was the last of the "narrow body" Camry models, before the "Wide Body" XV-10 models entered into production the following year in '91. At least that was the case for USDM models. JDM Camrys continued the use of narrow body chassis until roughly 2003, and notably, the V20 remained in production for Japan only until 1992. Following the '03 model year, the models were all unified under one chassis to avoid confusion. 

The V20 Camry was arguably Toyota's big hit, as 1.4 million models were sold worldwide from 1987 to 1992. While the previous V10 generation put the Camry on the map, the V20 cemented its reputation as one of the best cars to buy. Of course, being a Toyota, it's still on the road, and is daily driven by the owner, Fred Potters. Also, despite being a Toyota, whose models have a reputation to hold value well on the used market, these old Camrys are affordable, like below $5000 affordable! The Volvo 240, BMW E30, and Mazda RX-8s are starting to creep up, and most are already fetching ridiculous prices, so if you're looking for a reliable, classic daily, and don't want to pay extreme prices, maybe consider a Toyota. 

Also, what's the plural form of Camry? Is it Camrys or Camries? 

Above: 1991 Ford F-350 XLT Lariat: The Beginning of Modern American Truck Culture

Here is probably the most "American" truck ever. It's a '91 F-350, complete with a crew cab, dual rear wheels, and the Lariat trim package. Big trucks like this F-350 are almost second nature today, but back then, this old Ford was a rare sight. Today, owning a big truck is trendy, and has replaced most sedans as the family vehicle for most families that "buy American." Back in the 1990s, people who owned big trucks, like this F-350, owned them because they needed something practical to haul large trailers, such as horse or car trailer. The Ford F-350 was one of the first popular medium duty pickup trucks on the scene, along with the Chevy C-30. 

So when did these become fashionable? I think as SUVs began to take the spotlight from the sedan as a family vehicle in the early 2000s, they brought along with them their truck counterparts. Think of the Chevy Tahoe and Silverado, the Ford Explorer and F-150, and the Dodge Durango and Ram. You could also argue that trucks seemed more accepted generally by most car enthusiasts, as SUVs were looked at as "Soccer-Mom vehicles" and "Family vehicles." Pop-culture also played a role too, as most country music songs idolize the pickup truck as a symbol of American lifestyle. Afterall, the Pickup truck has been a prominent symbol of American lifestyle and country living since the modern post-war trucks of the late '40s. 

While many car enthusiasts have argued that the classic American luxury land yacht has disappeared, I think it's evolved. Instead of sedans, we now have trucks. Think about it - Americans have always loved big, hulking street machines. Thanks to the Chicken Tax Loophole of the 1970s, which excluded trucks from most emission and safety regulations, American auto manufacturers noticed that they could start to take advantage of continuing production of large, inefficient vehicles, while their sedans had to be shrunken down to conform to the new regulations the '70s brought. This explains why there suddenly existed many different Pickup truck option packages, like the Dodge Lil'Red Truck. The 1990s proved that performance technology wasn't limited to just muscle cars, as the Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy 454 SS, and the Dodge SRT-10 Viper Truck proved that trucks could be just as powerful. The 2000s then gave us luxury trucks, like the Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Avalanche, and the Lincoln Mark LT, which were pretty much the forefathers of modern luxury trucks. Overtime, and coupled with pop-culture's symbolic nature, the pick-up truck evolved into what we see it today. 

So, yes, while this was an entry on a Ford F-350, I thought it would serve as a good discussion on truck culture in the US. I know we don't often feature many trucks on ONEC, much less trucks with unique trim packages like this Ford. Maybe you agree with the trends in how truck culture evolved from sedans into luxury trucks, or maybe you disagree. Either way, I'd love to hear from similar or differing viewpoints, as I think this is the way the majority of the USDM is heading. I, for one, will continue to miss the sedan and wagon. 

Above: What does "EFI" Mean?

Prior to this truck, I had never seen the "EFI" badge before. At first, I thought it was EF1, but upon more research, I was proven wrong. EFI simply stands for Electronic Fuel Injection, which was briefly teased with the previous seventh generation F-Series trucks. In 1987, with the redesigned eighth generation, EFI became a standard option for all Ford truck engines. 

Above: 1989 Volvo 240 DL Estate

A cloudy Volvo on a cloudy day. Perhaps this Volvo could be our sunshine on a cloudy day though. It certainly was for me when I found it! This is one beat up 240, and if you think the exterior looks dirty, the interior was just as derelict. Nonetheless, its still standing, serving its owner well. Although, I hope the owner cleans it up! 

Above: The Volvo: Front and Rear

This Volvo must be new to Cranston, as I've never seen it around town before spotting it today. I know I find a lot of 240s, but I think I'd remember a car in such condition as this one. Most 240s I see aren't as beat up as this one. If I recall correctly, the odometer was well over 250k miles, but who knows if it still works. However, this car could just be really dirty, giving it the appearance that its been driven much more than it has. 

Above: 1985 Ford Econoline Club Wagon XLT 

We've entered VanLand again, this time with a beautiful 1985 Ford Econoline Club Wagon. This van has been incredibly well preserved, and serves as a great example of a typical 1980s Ford van. 

The 1985 Ford Econonline existed during the third generation of the Ford E-Series vans, which was produced from 1975 to 1991. Over its production, the van saw relatively few changes, despite three major cosmetic changes across its lifespan. However, the third generation Econoline was pretty advanced for its time, in terms of utility vehicles. The Ford Econoline was the first American made van to utilize a body-on-frame layout. This allowed the E-Series to be adopted for different uses, such as a box truck, camper, or ambulance. Ford also took advantage of using the Econoline's large interior space and minimal exterior to create more luxurious models for civilian use, like this Club Wagon seen here. These advances allowed it to become Motor Trend's first ever truck of the year in 1978. 

The Club Wagon trim package had been around since the first Econolines of the 1960s. Originally, it was intended to compete with the Volkswagen Type 1 Kombi, Chevy Corvair Greenbrier, and Dodge A-100, but as time progressed, so did the Club Wagon. It's important to note that the US van scene was also reaching its peak when the third generation Econoline was introduced, which Ford notably took advantage of. With the body-on-frame construction, this allowed for the introduction of the famed Conversion Van, a relic of the late twentieth century. Ford granted the Centurion Company the rights to produce factory approved luxury cruisers of their own Club Wagons. In turn, these Ford Centurions, as they were popularly known, paved the way for a subset of van culture, and a short-lived fad of the '80s and '90s. 

Above: The Ford in Focus

This van was a pleasant surprise. When was the last time you saw an '80s Econoline on ONEC? I think the last time was the 2023 Memorial Day Car Show, which featured a very rad '80s Econoline vanster. Definitely give it a read if you haven't yet! Anyways, this Econoline, while not exactly perfect, is probably the nicest street parked example I'll ever come across. I love the two-tone paint job, as well, as ladder mounted to the rear door. I really wish the van scene returned to how it was back in the '70s. It really looked like a fun time. 

Above: 1990 Honda Accord LX: So Unassuming, Yet so Rebellious 

Think twice about the next time you say "Oh it's just another Honda Accord." That's what I said, until my eye caught a flashing glimpse of the interior, and I knew I had something special. If you remember from Bike Ride 26, I photographed a Volvo 240 with a similar DIY paint scheme and interior. While this Honda isn't as radical as the Volvo, it's a close second. The interior alone looks like the underside of an overpass next to the train tracks, making you wonder what exactly inspired this. 

Above: 1992 Jeep Cherokee XJ: AMC's Last Gasp

Lastly, we arrive at a Jeep. I know, I don't photograph many Jeeps, and not because I have anything against them, I just don't come across enough classic examples in my travels. I'll get into this detail later, but the XJ went through two distinct eras in its lifetime. The former, being the AMC, is less common than the Chrysler. This Jeep, however, is an AMC. Despite being pretty ubiquitous overall, the Jeep Cherokee XJ is a classic now, and it's only a matter of time before they start disappearing and begin to creep up in value, like its SJ forefathers.

The Jeep Cherokee was first introduced as a subsequent model of the legendary Wagoneer, built on the SJ-Platform. This was also shared with the original Gladiator pickups from the 1970s. The Cherokee was a two door version of the Wagoneer, stripped down with less trim, and had a very similar appearance to the International Scout, another pioneer in the early 4x4s of the '70s. In 1983, the SJ Cherokee was discontinued, and the XJ replaced it following year. However, the SJ-Based Wagoneer remained in production alongside the XJ Cherokee until 1991. 

The new XJ-Cherokee was a leap forward for Jeep. While AMC still owned Jeep despite circling the drain, the new Cherokee gave a glimpse that maybe AMC could be saved. It's new design was pretty modern compared to other offerings of its time. It was the first unibody4x4 vehicle ever built, and the first vehicle to be marketed essentially as an SUV, under the term "Sportswagon." Yes, the AMC Eagle and Jeep Wagoneer SJ were pioneers in the modern SUV, but the XJ would pick up the torch and run into the fledging world, where SUVs would become the dominating body style Americans wanted to buy. The XJ also inspired the Chevy S-10 Blazer and GMC Jimmy and the Ford Explorer. Chrysler was already selling the other new body style that would capture American car buyers' hearts, the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager Minivans.

In 1987, AMC sold their share of Jeep to Chrysler, only three years after the launch of the XJ, but they kept its name in production and continued using AMC parts in production, even up until the end of production in 2001. Although AMC never got to fully see their final form through, they certainly went out in a grand finale. AMC was certainly an underdog in a lot of ways, not just with the SUVs, but with compact cars too. The AMC Rambler was the first ever American compact, before the Ford Falcon. The AMC Gremlin was a reliable alternative to the fiery Pinto, and the Eagle and the Wagoneer were the forefathers of modern American car consumerism, whether you're thankful for that or not. So, in a sense, a lot of what we have today in terms of everyday cars can be traced backed to AMC. They certainly weren't the most popular of the American brands, but they certainly were the most unique.