I grew up my young years in the 70s and 80s...... I remember the first time i saw a custom Van magazine at the local newsagent. I flicked through it and put it back down - there was no money in my pocket - but there it was - everything i had ever dreamed of.
A mobile space you could craft as you pleased and then it could take you anywhere you wanted to go - surely that was the ticket out of western suburbs of Melbourne, i could avoid the Broadmeadows train line forever!? Well - i would have to wait another 10 years to get my drivers licence but you know what i mean.
Despite what recent years of social media portrays and current hipster take on Vanlife - this was going on 50 years ago - and to be honest, i think the van community of the 70s were much more creative, bolder, open to new ideas and each van was filled full of individual character.....
The custom van scene really took off in the early 70s and by the mid 1970s even car manufacturers were advertising to this niche. This is where the magazines picked up such as Custom Vans, Street Vans, Travelin Vans, Van Power, Van World and more - this website has it all covered and shows each magazine cover to boot: http://99wspeedshop.com.s3-website-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/customvans.html
The thing i loved about these magazines, there was no internet - so the only place to see what other people were doing was through print..... they showed you the latest custom van builds from around the world including those interiors, they had DIY tips and instructions for all sorts of custom work including how to airbrush your own art onto your van - how good are some of those exterior paint jobs! I think i even bought an air brush so i could practice......
That was 50 years ago!
Imagine the next custom van cycle in 30-50 years - im seeing electric hovering vans which clean the air as they move, body parts are grown rather than made and self repair after crashes, glazing which disappears at the push of a button, AI integrated driving consoles which tap into your conciousness - but as a nod to the past the exterior paint jobs and vintage interiors still exist as a craft on their own.
Cant wait!