When Vans Were the Coolest Thing on the Road (and Custom Vans Were Even Cooler)

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John Summers • Contributor
Sep 18, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

There was a magical moment in the 1970s when the coolest car you could possibly own wasn't a muscle car, wasn't a sports car, wasn't even a pickup truck - it was a van. And not just any van. No, you needed shag carpeting, bubble windows, an airbrushed wizard summoning lightning on the side, and a stereo system that could knock over a lawn chair.

The custom van craze was less about horsepower and more about personality. These were rolling living rooms, road trip machines, and mobile party dens all in one. Inside you'd find Captain's chairs, lava lamps, and sometimes even full-size beds. On the outside? Spoilers, louvres, mag wheels, and paint jobs that looked like they belonged on an album cover.

Ford, Dodge, and Chevy all jumped in on the trend, releasing vans built to be customized, and an entire industry of shops popped up to make your dream van a reality. Sure, the craze didn't last forever, but for a brief, glorious window, nothing said "freedom" like a custom van. These vintage photos are a love letter to that era - proof that, once upon a time, vans ruled the road.

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    APA SEMB Crank up Removabl SUNROOF WW CHROOF ROOF Crank out SIDEWINDER
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    Badge STAR WARSU
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    VANS & trucks ROCKY'S RICHES From the Martin sunroof to the B.F. Goodrich Radials, this super Chevy looks like a million! For more on this home-built beauty...
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    999 RGER SURGER AL NOW OPEN BIL SPANKY'S SALOON 6 Midw FUN ORLD "SPLASH" JUMP IN AND SWIM WINNER WEEK TASTY RIBEYE STEAK LARGE 2.95 FULL NER
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    00 STAR BURST FANS
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    MUNC Very Green Vee Dub
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    BLOWIN' IN THE WIND 246
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    Cheezburger Image 10555587072
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    COOL BLUE
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    FORD
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    Cheezburger Image 10555588608
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    710 Project Van III
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    Cheezburger Image 10555589120
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    TWO MUCH! New Ford Cruising Wagon. New Ford Cruising Van. WIM ge stuff Cruising Pinto Cruising Wagon. Captain's Chairs for cary livin FORD FORD DIVISION
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    Ford. First in vans by a comfortable margin. Fondsout Ford Ford Vans fun to get into. Loads of livin' room. Customized for "Cruising" Wild! Ford's new "Cruising"Wagon. Bault Ford Tough 93 out of 100 of all Ford Trucks registered over the last 12 years are still on the job. FORD FORD DIVISION Bird
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    Zilinsky's Canadian Machine RAC.
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    Cheezburger Image 10555590912
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1990s 90s memes retro nostalgia 80s music Nostalgia Overload 80s 90s kids 90s memory lane nostalgia memes millennial-nostalgia 1980s
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