Every now and then, we see a movie or TV show-inspired tribute vehicle pop up for auction, which is always an enticing offering for many – particularly fans of those flicks or series. This list includes more than one Ford Econoline van designed to pay tribute to what’s known as the “Mystery Machine” of Scooby Doo fame, which has always been a fan favorite. Those Mystery Machine tribute vans tend to vary greatly in scope, but this particular example – based on a 1966 Econoline – is nicer than most, we’d say.
This Mystery Machine 1966 Ford Econoline replica is slated to be sold at Mecum’s upcoming Larry’s Legacy auction, which is set to take place at the Klairmont Kollections Automotive Museum in Chicago in September. It’s one of 295 collector vehicles and over 1,000 pieces of art being sold from that particular museum, all in honor of its creator, the late Larry Klairmont. As for the van itself, it was treated to a full-blown redo in 2022, which reportedly cost around $40,000 to complete.
During that process, the body was refinished in blue paint with green panels and floral accents, just like the Mystery Machine we all grew up admiring, along with a custom see-through decal on the rear window showing off some familiar Scooby Doo characters. It rolls on a set of Chrome Vision five-spoke wheels, wrapped with Cooper Cobra white-letter tires, too
Inside, one will find a custom interior with wood frame rear seating, custom seat cushions with vinyl upholstery, and a Kenwood stereo system. Power comes from a 240 cubic-inch inline-six cylinder engine mated to a three-speed manual gearbox, all of which was removed, cleaned up, and recommissioned. The engine breathes through a new exhaust, and has been treated to a rebuilt carb and radiator, along with new belts, hoses, and a battery.
This isn’t the only Econoline-based Mystery Machine replica we’ve seen in recent years, however – we also came across a heavily modified example built for SEMA a couple of years ago, too.
Certainly not something we see every day.
Changes to the passenger's seat, but not the driver's.
It appeared in a movie and a TV series.
