Use the Force with this Star Wars-inspired 1979 Dodge Ram Van
A long time ago in a state far, far, away, an enthusiast outfitted their Dodge van with some cool graphics. And now it’s for sale.
It’s an excellent time to be a Star Wars fan. The premier for Star Wars Resistance season two is only several weeks away. The Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars television show, will hit Disney+ in November. And The Rise of Skywalker arrives just in time for Christmas. There’s also a bevy of new and upcoming books and comics. Heck, even Disney’s theme parks now features their own Star Wars experience!
If you’re a Dodge lover who follows the ways of the Jedi, we’ve got even better news. As recently reported by The AV Club, a 1979 Dodge Ram Van with some out-of-this-world graphics surfaced on craigslist. Dodge Forum has hosted some pretty cool Ram Vans in the past, but this one may be the coolest yet.
Ironically, the van in question doesn’t actually say the title of everyone’s favorite space fantasy. Instead, the graphics spell out “STAR VANRS.” Somehow, it just works. That’s probably due to the font matching up with exactly what you’d see on the opening crawl of any of the nine Skywalker Saga films. It’s highly doubtful that the spelling was painted in error. In reality, the owner probably wanted to avoid getting entangled in a copyright infringement lawsuit. That’s okay, because a cursory glance at the above picture can fool pretty much anyone into thinking it says “Wars,” and passing motorists will no doubt be fooled too.
A major factor in the van’s appeal is the quality of the custom paint job. It’s not just the colors that complement each other nicely. All the Star Wars specific touches are spot-on. Luke’s T-65B X-wing looks absolutely perfect. The artist managed to create a detailed enough painting that R2-D2 is clearly visible. And they even gave the starfighter its trademark “used” appearance, as it retains all the scratched paint and worn exterior bits of the model that appeared in the original film.
Speaking of worn paint, the only portions of the van that feature it are on the hood. From the seller’s description:
This 1979 Dodge “shorty” van was designed and built two years after the original movie hit the theaters. The van has mostly been stored for many years. The original graphics are in good shape. The graphics on the hood have some cracking due to being face up to the sun. But I think it adds great character.
We’re inclined to agree with the seller that patina is a good thing. And the interior features perhaps the best-known ship in pop culture history. A plush version of Han’s dice are also present. Overall, the cabin, like the rest of the van, appears to be in decent shape.
This van, like the Millennium Falcon, comes with its own set of age-related quirks. The Dodge has received some special modifications in the form of a new engine, possibly a 318. The seller states that while the van runs and drives, it needs to be serviced. And at some point the door handles were shaved off. Those drawbacks are fairly minor though, especially for something as unique as this van. At $9800, the van is priced a little steep, but it’s hard to say how much something like this should cost.
Dodge Forum previously featured some pretty nifty Ram Vans. This 1997 “Hambulance” is most certainly one-of-a-kind. And this dual axle 1991 could certainly smuggle a whole boat load of cargo if need be. But those two vans are insignificant compared to the power of the Force. Star Wars ingrained itself into humanity’s DNA pretty much as soon as it reached theaters. If you’re feeling just as smitten as we are about this fantastic van, head on over to the ad to take a look at everything it offers. One thing is for sure: you won’t have to use any Jedi mind tricks to convince anyone that it’s cool.
Photos: craigslist