Good news for anyone looking to jumpstart another CB radio revolution: A groovy creation by automotive designer George Barris that was featured in the 1977 film SuperVan, as well as glimpsed briefly in Back To The Future II, is up for auction. Originally christened “The Love Machine” upon its creation in 1966, the super cool piece of kitsch features a crushed red velvet interior, a rotating bed, and, of course, a disco ball hanging from its ceiling. The modified Dodge Tradesman A-100 also features a radio, TV, and record player all powered by solar panels installed on the vehicle. (Sammy Johns album not included.)
SuperVan was released in 1977, part of a short-lived subgenre of “vansploitation” movies that also included The Van. It featured Uncle Leo himself, Len Lesser, as well as Charles Bukowski, who’s seen creeping around a wet T-shirt contest. The film was intended to capitalize on the ’70s “van culture” trend, which, looking back, seems ubiquitous but in actuality probably only lasted as long as planking or Tebowing.
The father of the SuperVan, George Barris, has created some of the most recognizable automobiles in pop culture history, including KITT, The Munster Koach, and the 1966 Batmobile. The whip that Adam West and Burt Ward cruised around in for three seasons recently sold at auction for $4,620,000; the SuperVan itself will probably go for less, but if it’s still out of your price range, maybe just find a used Ford Econoline and have an art-school dropout friend paint a Frank Frazetta knockoff on its side for $20 and a case of beer.
[h/t Dangerous Minds]