Chevrolet Starcraft and Ford Econoline

 

Chevrolet Starcraft and Ford Econoline were in production until 1995 and 2007, respectively.

Now, I gotta give y'all a heads up – these can be real gas guzzlers, costing you a pretty penny in fuel, taxes, and repairs. , no doubt, they're mighty practical if you've got a bunch of buddies to haul around or a big ol' family to cart here and there. These are robust machines that can tow a hefty load, and them cargo vans offer plenty of space. You can jazz 'em up with tinted windows, loads of mascots, glitter, and fancy stuff inside – maybe even throw in a Wunder-Baum air freshener and some fuzzy dice.

There was this elderly couple down the road from where I grew up, and they rolled in a Chevrolet Starcraft. Most times, though, they kept it parked under a tarp, collecting leaves. So, it was always a big deal those rare times I caught a glimpse of it. 

Now, the Ford Econoline is, in many ways, cut from the same cloth as the Chevrolet Starcraft, but it's got a bit less fancy flair. The Econoline often plays the role of the bad guy's ride in many movies, and even Hannibal Lecter himself drove one in the 2001 film 'Hannibal.' It's worth mentioning that the Ford Econoline had a similar design to O.J. Simpson's Ford Bronco, which kept rolling off the assembly line until 1996, just a year after the O.J. Simpson scandal in 1995.

The Econoline kept on truckin' until 2007. Around the time it went out of production, I spotted one of the last models still rolling in Oslo – looked like something out of a Hannibal Lecter scene. Thankfully, it wasn't Hannibal at the wheel; instead, it was two pale dudes in their twenties, cruising around downtown and on the lookout for ladies. In that sense, they were on the same mission as yours truly.