By Rich Truesdell

Automotive Traveler

Featured in two magazines and in the Hemmings 2007 Classic Car Calendar, this might well be the best compact Dodge A100 pickup on the planet.

It’s no secret that I call Cars and Coffee my private hunting ground for feature vehicles for the many magazines I contribute to. Every Saturday morning more than 300 interesting cars and trucks vie for a coveted parking spot in the lot between the Ford and Mazda buildings. Several years ago I shot this eye-catching Dodge A100 and it was ultimately featured in the January 2008 issue of Cars & Parts. (It’s now featured in the September issue of Hemmings Motor News as well.) Look closely at this truck and you’ll see why. It’s a near-perfect example of the breed of compact pickups that were the domestic response to the sales success of the wide selection of the versatile yet under-powered Volkswagen trucks that were popular in the late fifties and early sixties. Besides the Dodge A100, Ford responded with its Falcon-based Econoline while Chevrolet’s initial response was the short-lived (1961 to 1964) Corvair-based Loadside pickup which featured an innovative side ramp making it exceptionally easy to load cargo.

But this truck is equipped with a Mopar V-8! Read more at Automotive Traveler.

I am a big fan of vans. I’m not talking about the modern minivans of today, but the great vans of yesteryear. Mainly those of the late 60s and early 70s. Vans in general fall into one of two categories: creepy or cool. My wife seems to think that all vans, regardless of the year, make or model are just plain creepy. I disagree–I think that vans have gotten a bum rap over the years. When many people see an old van they conjure up visions of teenagers in the back, fully ablaze on illegal substances. Others see them as solely purpose built vehicles–load em’, lug it and unload em’, end of story. I just love them and think they’re just plain cool. Just take a look at Julie’s Dodge A100. Simply put, this thing is COOL. What do you think?

This crazy Hemi-powered A-100 has been featured in twelve Mopar publications along with Sport Truck, Hot Rodding, Car Craft, Truckin’ and Power Wagon. And now it’s on eBay.