There’s A Vintage Ford Econoline Sportsmobile 4×4 Camper For Sale

This is a 1971 Ford Econoline Sportsmobile 4×4 camper, it’s been significantly modified from its original factory specification and now has lifted suspension, four-wheel drive, a 306 cubic inch Ford V8 crate engine, and a pop-top camper conversion.

Four-wheel drive vans like this offer the best of both worlds for overlanders, weekend off-roaders, and vanlife adherents thanks to its ability to go almost anywhere while also being a fully equipped house on wheels.

Fast Facts – A Ford Econoline Sportsmobile 4×4 Camper

• The Ford Econoline was released in 1960 as a 1961 model, it was developed on the Ford Falcon platform and it was developed specifically to compete with the likes of the Chevrolet Corvair van and Volkswagen Transporter/Kombi Van.
• The second generation Econoline was released in 1968, it was a completely redesigned van that now shared its base with the Ford F-Series trucks. A V8 engine option was offered for the first time and it would be this generation that would set the standard for all the Econoline and E-Series vans going forwards.
• The Econoline you see here has been converted into a pop-top camper and given both a four-wheel drive conversion and a 306 cubic inch Ford V8 engine transplant.
• This van keeps its classic retro styling which is now combined with some genuine off-road ability – opening up far more potential camping locations than a standard 2×4 Econoline.

The Second Generation Ford Econoline

The second generation version of the Ford Econoline van series was a complete blank slate redesign, it was released in 1968 and sold until 1974, after which it was replaced with the third generation model.

Whereas the first generation Econoline was based on the Ford Falcon and sized to compete with the Volkswagen Transporter and Chevrolet Corvair van, the second generation version was based on the Ford F-Series truck chassis and was notably larger.

The pop-top camper conversion allows more headroom, it also contains a lofted double bed – ideal for sleeping in when the weather is warmer.

When the secon gen Econoline was released in 1968 it was available with a V8 engine for the first time, and its increased cargo capacity made it appealing to a wider audience, it even made it a pick-up truck replacement for many tradespeople.

Ford offered three engine options including the 240 cubic inch (3.9 liter) inline-six, the 300 cubic inch (4.9 liter) inline-six, and the 302 cubic inch (4.9 liter) Windsor V8. Customers could choose between the 3-speed manual for the 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission, sending power to the live axle rear end.

This extra size of the second gen Econoline also made it ideal for use as a camper, companies were founded to offer camper conversions specifically for the model, some of which had pop-top roofs in order to maximize headroom.

The Econoline Sportsmobile 4×4 Camper Shown Here

The van you see here is a 1971 Econoline that now benefits from a series of major upgrades to make it ideal for prolonged journeys both on and off-road.

The camper contains a soft that folds down into a double bed as well as a sink, refrigerator, and ample cabinets and counter space.

The 1970s-era camper conversion remains in largely original condition, the pop-top provides more headroom when the van is parked, it also contains a lofted double bed.

In the main camper section you’ll find a couch that converts into a double bed in the back, as well as a sink, fridge, and plenty of cabinetry.

The original engine has been replaced with a considerably more powerful 306 cubic inch Ford V8 crate engine mated to an AOD four-speed automatic transmission, and a Dana 20 twin-stick transfer case.

Power is sent either to the rear wheels or to all four wheels, the suspension has been lifted for better ground clearance when off-road, and it has Warn locking front hubs, four-wheel disc brakes, a front-mounted 12,000 lb winch, a rear-mounted spare tire and a Hi-Lift jack.

In order to keep electrical equipment working the van has been fitted with a solar panel and additional batteries, it also has an outdoor shower, and it’s now riding on 17″ steel wheels fitted with 255/75 BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain tires.

This unusual Econoline is now being auctioned live online on Bring A Trailer. At the time of writing there are still a few days left to bid and you can click here to view the listing.

Images courtesy of Bring A Trailer

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A Vintage Dutch Rijkspolitie (State Police) Porsche 911 SC Targa

This Porsche 911 SC Targa is a little more special than most, it’s a retired Dutch Rijkspolitie (State Police) highway patrol vehicle, and it remains in its original service specification.

The 911 SC Targa might seem like an unusual vehicle to choose for police duties. It was ultimately chosen because it was ideal for high-speed pursuits, it had room in the back to store police equipment, and when directing traffic the officer could stand on the seat, giving them a good view over the surrounding traffic.

Fast Facts – A Dutch Rijkspolitie Porsche 911 SC Targa

• The Dutch Rijkspolitie, or Highway Patrol, were tasked with constantly monitoring the nations highways and byways for the usual problems – drunk drivers, speeders, breakdowns, and accidents.
• The Porsche 911 SC was released in 1978, its 3.0 liter engine was a notable upgrade over the oftentimes troublesome 2.7 liter-powered 911 that had come before it.
• The Rijkspolitie ordered a number of 911 SC Targa models in white, with a passenger-side mirror, a rear wiper, and front and rear fog lights. One the cars arrived in the Netherlands they received the other parts necessary to turn them into police cars.
• The original Porsche 911 SC Targa Rijkspolitie shown here was given a comprehensive restoration between 2021 and 2022, and it’s now being offered for sale.

The Dutch Police And The Porsche 911

In the 1960s there were no speed limits on Dutch highways, and the police needed something that could keep up with the quickest sports cars while also offering some level of practicality.

The front of the car is equipped with police sirens and additional fog lights, some cars also had spotlights added.

They ultimately settled on the Porsche 356 Cabriolet, using them from 1962 until 1966 painted in white with the distinctive orange and black Rijkspolitie livery over the top.

When Porsche unveiled the notably faster 911 Targa model in 1967 the Dutch police switched their preferred model, and began ordering them – always in white and always with the Targa roof.

The Targa roof was chosen for a very simple reason, it allowed the police officers to stand on their seats (with the roof removed of course) to get an elevated view over the surrounding traffic, and to direct that traffic of needs be.

The cars arrived from Porsche with white paint, and a small number of optional extras including a passenger-side mirror, a rear wiper, and front and rear fog lights.

The interior is largely factory stock, with the exception of the police radio, the switches for the police light and sirens, and the lockers installed on the back seats for storage.

The police department then had them modified, a pillar was added to the Targa bar with a flashing blue light, high visibility orange livery was added on the front, sides, and rear, a rear mounted loud speaker was installed as well as sirens and additional lights, and storage lockers were added on top of the rear seats.

In total, the Dutch police would buy 507 Porsches, including the 356, 911 Targa, 914, 924, and 964. Today the surviving cars are sought after by collectors, and well-known within the Porsche community.

The 1980 Porsche 911 SC Targa Rijkspolitie Shown Here

The car you see here is an original 1980 Rijkspolitie Porsche 911 SC, it benefits from a comprehensive restoration between 2021 and 2022.

The design of the back seat lockers changed over time, they included all the of the equipment that highway patrol officers might have needed and they were permanently installed – they couldn’t be removed and so the back seats weren’t used for transporting suspects.

The car is powered by the classic 911 SC 3.0 liter air-cooled flat-six, which is paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox sending power to the rear wheels.

It’s fitted with all of its original police equipment, not to mention that eye-catching Rijkspolitie livery. The car rides on original 15 inch “hackmesser” or “cookie cutter” alloy wheels wearing Vredestein Sprint Classic tires.

The car is accompanied by its original Dutch title, plus a Porsche “Geburtsurkunde” (birth certificate) confirming its factory equipment and delivery to the Rijkspolitie. It’s now being offered for sale on Collecting Cars and at the time of writing there are a few days left to bid.

If you’d like to read more or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing.

Images courtesy of Collecting Cars

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Vintage Film: Ford’s Experimental “Wrist Twist” Steering System From 1965

This short film from Ford is focussed on their “Wrist Twist” steering system from 1965 – a way of steering a car that required far less space and physical effort than a more traditional steering wheel.

It’s worth remembering that in 1965, most of the cars on the road didn’t have power steering, in fact some people had never even driven a car with power steering. With this in mind you can only imagine how futuristic the “Wrist Twist” system must have seemed to the American public.

The car that the experimental controls are fitted to is a 1965 Mercury Park Lane convertible, it’s powered by a 400+ cubic inch V8 (~7.0 liters) and it tips the scales at approximately 4,211 lbs or 1,910 kgs.

The “Wrist Twist” system was designed with twin dials, which are essentially small steering wheels. They’re mechanically linked and turn at the same time, hydraulics then operate a relatively standard power steering system.

The Park Lane convertible is 215 inches (5.4 meters) long and 81.1 inches (2 meters) wide. Given the sheer physical size and weight of the car, it’s no surprise that engineers were looking at ways of making the vehicle controls as easy as possible to use.

The “Wrist Twist” system consisted of two small dials, essentially small steering wheels with one for each hand. Due to the different ergonomics the driver had arm rests on either side that they rested their arms on while using the dials to control the vehicle.

The lack of a steering wheel opens up a lot of space in the car, particularly when you consider the size of the wheels that were typically used before power steering became commonplace.

Ultimately the “Wrist Twist” never caught on and was never put into production. It’s one of many new steering systems that have been experimented with over the years, only for the traditional steering wheel to win out in the end.

Perhaps the one exception to this is the Tesla Steering Yoke, an aircraft yoke-like steering device being fitted to many modern production Teslas, and it’s said to be the only steering system on offer in the upcoming Tesla Cybertruck slated for 2023 production.

Images courtesy of Bob McVay and the Ford Motor Company.

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For Sale: A Factory-Built Ford Gran Torino “Starsky & Hutch”

In order to celebrate the fame brought by the Starsky & Hutch TV series Ford released a Gran Torino “Starsky & Hutch” limited edition car for the 1976 model year. 1,305 were built, they all featured the iconic red paint scheme with the white “vector” stripe down each side.

Starsky & Hutch first appeared on TV screens in 1975, it quickly became a cult classic with stars Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul in the leading roles. The show follows police detectives David Starsky and Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson around the streets of the fictional Bay City in Southern California.

Fast Facts – The Ford Gran Torino “Starsky & Hutch”

• Interestingly the car that was originally going to feature in Starsky & Hutch was a green and white Chevrolet Camaro, as the show’s creator William Blinn had owned one previously and loved it.
• The Ford Motor Company’s Studio-TV car loan program was the lease supplier for Spelling-Goldberg Productions that year, the producers eventually chose a bright red two-door Gran Torino with a white “vector” stripe to make it unique and memorable.
• After the custom paint work was complete, the cars used for filming were also given rear air shocks to give the car its nose-down stance, as well as “U.S.” brand five-slot aluminum alloy wheels with larger rear tires.
• A number of cars were created for filming, Ford released a “Starsky & Hutch” version of the 1976 Gran Torino and sold 1,305 of them – one of which was used as a backup car during filming.

The Ford Gran Torino

The model name “Torino” was almost used as the name for the Ford Mustang. For whatever reason it was on the shortlist at Ford and its time finally came in 1968 with the release of the Ford Torino – originally developed as an upgraded version of the Ford Fairlane.

Above Video: This is the intro and outro for the original TV series from season one. The Ford Gran Torino makes a number of appearances, it became wildly popular with viewers and is today referred to as the “third star” from the series.

The Torino would be sold by Ford over three generations between 1968 and 1976. It was available in a variety of layouts with the most popular two being the four-door sedan and the two-door hardtop coupe.

A number of engines were offered over the Torino production run starting with the 200 cubic inch (3.3 liter) straight-six, sizes kept increasing all the way up to the 427 and 428 cubic inch (7.0 liter) Ford FE V8s.

Although the Torino was discontinued after the 1976 model year its underpinnings lived on until 1979, providing the platform for the Ford LTD II, Ford Thunderbird, Ford Ranchero, and the Mercury Cougar.

The Ford Gran Torino “Starsky & Hutch” Shown Here

The car you see here is one of the 1,305 examples of the factory-built Ford Gran Torino “Starsky & Hutch” limited edition model – one of which was used as a backup car during filming.

The screen-used stunt cars from Starsky & Hutch were given a slew of modifications for filming, the white “vector” stripe is the most famous, but they also had air shocks mounted in the rear to lift the back of the car up to give it its unique stance.

“U.S.” brand five-slot aluminum alloy wheels with larger rear tires were also added, and a chrome tip was added to the exhaust pipe.

Starsky & Hutch starred Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul playing David Starsky and Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson respectively.

Ford didn’t include these modifications into their own Gran Torino “Starsky & Hutch” models, they were essentially just given the vector stripe, but many owners in the years since have modified their cars to look and perform more like the cars used on screen.

The c ar you see here is one such custom, it started out as an original Ford-built Gran Torino “Starsky & Hutch”  but it’s been given a well throughout range of upgrades to get it performing as good or better than the cars in the series.

The original engine was replaced with a 409 cubic inch high-performance crate V8, it’s been given an upgraded radiator to keep it cool, and an Edelbrock fuel injection system. It has a custom exhaust, cross-drilled disc brakes, uprated dashboard instrumentation, and upgraded suspension for improved handling.

The car is now due to roll across the auction block with RM Sotheby’s in late March with a price guide of $44,000 – $50,000 USD.

If you’d like to read more about this car or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing.

Images: ©2022 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

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