1985 Ford Econoline E-250 XL With 27K Miles Up For Auction

The Ford E-Series – or Econoline as it was previously known – is one of the longest-running models in Blue Oval history, having entered production way back in 1960 for the 1961 model year. Though it’s no longer offered as a van after switching to a chassis model only in 2015, the older versions remain quite popular with those seeking a large van for any number of reasons ranging from hauling people to transforming them into campers. However, we doubt anyone would want to chop up this amazingly original 1985 Ford Econoline, which has been quite well preserved to this point.

This 1985 Ford Econoline E-250 XL is up for auction at Bring a Trailer with just 27k miles on the clock, looking mostly like it could have just rolled off the assembly line. Amazingly, it remained in the possession of the original owner until just last year, and they clearly took great care of the van. Its Light Desert Tan has no noted flaws, the chrome is shiny, and the steel wheels with hubcaps are in like-new condition, too. It’s a true time warp on the outside, and that’s also true when we move on to other areas.

In fact, the interior looks factory fresh as well, with basically perfect low-back bucket seats up front that are trimmed in tan premium vinyl, joined by amenities such as an AM/FM radio, a heater, and crank windows. It’s a basic work van for certain, with just necessary gauges and not much else, but the owner clearly didn’t use it for those purposes. The engine bay provides more proof of that, as it’s quite clean and stuffed with the Ford 5.8L V8 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission.

We rarely ever come across original Ford Econoline models in this kind of stellar condition, as generally, it’s the modified Centurion builds that tend to command most of the attention on the collector car circuit – making this one rather special, indeed.