Vanner Tapestries

First-generation Chevy Van refers to the first G-10 half-ton production years 1964 through 1966. There was a market for a compact van based on a modified passenger car platform to compete with the already successful Econoline and A100 vans. The 1964 Chevy van had a cab-forward design with the engine placed in a “doghouse” between and behind the front seats. Engines and brakes were sourced from the Chevy II, a more conventional compact car than the Corvair which was used as the basis for the Chevy Greenbrier vans. The 1st Gen vans were available in only the short 90-inch wheelbase and with the standard 90 hp 153-cubic-inch straight-4 or straight-6 engine. A first-gen is quickly identified by its single-piece flat windshield glass.

Do you love your Gypsy Vanner and are a real horse lover? This design has the horse saying ''Gypsy Daddy'' and was created with a beautiful drawing of an Irish Cob. Do you own a horse and can you call yourself a Gypsy Daddy? Then this is the perfect horse motif!

During the custom van craze of the ’70s, there were plenty of local shops as well as larger builders that for some reason were all based in the Midwest. Grand Systems was one of these larger builders that worked both consumer direct and with dealers to build the conversion van of their dreams. While they did full custom, they also offered several packages that were offered turn key or as starting points for further customization, including the 'Blue Diamond' package reflected here.

Custom vans were all the rage in the '70s, and there were shops catering to boogie van lovers from coast-to-coast helping vanners build their dream ride. By the mid '80s, many of those shops had either gone under, or shifted their focus as vans fell out of favor, but for those who kept on trucking, a few standouts kept the flame alive. Miami's Contreras Customs is one such shop that kept building show quality rolling rooms well into the '90s. Sure, they did lots of other custom work too, like traditional lowriders and restomod muscle cars, but continued to support vanners, even going so far as to manufacture many custom parts that could no longer be found.

Custom vans were all the rage in the ’70s, and there were shops catering to boogie van lovers from coast-to-coast helping vanners build their dream ride, and one such shop was Calivania Customs. This west coast custom van shop was based in Los Angeles and made sure their signature California style was reflected in every van they built, no matter how wild or mild the project may have been.

SuperVan is a 1977 American vansploitation film that features a very heavily modified van central to the storyline. It is an action adventure comedy road movie and is rated PG. The story follows Clint Morgan as he goes to The Invitational Freak-Out for custom van enthusiasts intending to enter his van, The Sea Witch, in a contest. In saving a runaway, Karen, from a bike gang, Clint loses his van. He goes to his friend Bosley, a rebel designer, who lets Clint and Karen enter his solar-powered laser-firing custom van, Vandora, in place of The Sea Witch. Based on a stock Sportsman van, some of SuperVan's most unusual features are solar panels, the ability to emit laser beams, and a complete custom body.

This beautiful Vanner horse is playing on a daisy filled meadow on this beautiful sunny day. He feels the breeze through his mane as he rears up to show his prowess.

Black Pinto Piebald Gypsy Vanner Draft Horse Trotting in Snow

The A100 is a range of compact vans and cab over trucks were made from 1964 to 1970 in the United States and Canada. These vans are without question a vanner favorite and this retro gasser inspired design shows the 'Kalifornia Wagon' A100 with a 426 Hemi mounted midship gettin' some on the way to the beach to catch some tasty waves. 

Proud to add Lord Creedence to my growing number of Gypsy Vanner Horse designs. This art is a combination of photos by Roxy Werner and splatters from Graphicstock and Photoshop.

In 1976 a line of trucks and vans dubbed ‘Adult Toys’ was launched. Don’t be gross, these ‘Adult Toys’ were a series of factory vehicles that included the Street Van, which rolled off the assembly line outlandishly customized in what would become a staple of late '70s automotive culture – custom mag wheels, wild paint schemes, and plenty of shag carpeting among others. Despite the rich host of custom options the Street Van rolled off the line with, the true intention was for it to serve as an enticing platform for even more customization. To get buyers headed in the right direction, every Street Van came with a customization kit that included detailed instructions and plans to further style their van to their individual tastes.

Dapple Gray Gypsy Vanner Draft Horse LOVE

During the custom van craze of the ’70s, there were plenty of local shops as well as larger builders that for some reason were almost all based in Elkhart, Indiana. Van Vinyl wasn't a full custom builder or conversion shop, but rather a manufacturer of custom interior components, many of which were used by the larger conversion shops, but also sold directly to consumers. So whether you want royal blue captains chairs and a matching sofa that folded out into a bad or just want new door panels and a customer matched dashboard cover, Van Vinyl was the go-to place!

White Gray Gypsy Vanner Draft Horse LOVE

As the van craze of the '70s began was waning, Van World Magazine decided to expand their reach by retooling themselves as Van, Pickup, and Off-Road World Magazine. As the mouthful of a name might imply, the magazine still carried some van-related content, but the magazine largely shifted focus and embraced the growing interest in pickup trucks and off-roading. Coverage included new vehicle tests, reader's rides, how-to pieces, and occasional coverage of racing events and shows. Numbering continued from Van World, and a total of 11 issues were printed between May 1979 and March 1980 before the title was shelved.

Long before online colleges and distance learning were a thing, correspondence courses were the way people could get a degree or certification without having to ever set foot on a college campus. One such institution was Auto Upholstery Institute of Orange, California. In an attempt to ride the car and van customizing wave of the early '70s, A.U.I. set up several correspondence courses to teach auto upholstery and customization. Advertisements in automotive magazines and comic books advised readers to send in the included form for a free course catalog. Once registered, schools sent training materials, lesson worksheets, and the tools and supplies for the selected course. A.U.I. was even accredited by the California Department of Education.

original oil painting on canvas

Chestnut Pinto Skewbald Gypsy Vanner Draft Horse LOVE

When van customizing became the hot new thing, most shops focused on styling out vans with custom paint, tires, wheels, and countless appearance upgrades, but never really got into the performance side of things. Van Works Customs of Los Angeles took a slightly different approach, instead focusing on balls out powertrains that would give even the hottest muscle cars a run for their money. Big block power in an early Econoline? No problem. Supercharged 327 in a G10? Done deal. You name it and Van Works Customs could pull it off, the crazier, the better.

The Olympia Brewing Company was a brewery in Tumwater, Washington, near the state capital of Olympia. Leopold Schmidt, a German immigrant from Montana, founded The Capital Brewing Company at Tumwater Falls on the Deschutes River near the south end of Puget Sound. He built a four-story wooden brewhouse, a five-story cellar building, a one-story ice factory powered by the lower falls, and a bottling and keg plant and in 1896, began brewing and selling Olympia Beer. The brew became synonymous with its slogan "It's the Water," though after changing hands multiple times after the mid-eighties and the Tumwater brewery closing in 2003, "It's the Water" became just that - a slogan - as being brewed out of state never quite cut it.

It's all in the mane.

Chestnut Flaxen Gypsy Vanner Draft Horse LOVE

Brown Bay Pinto Skewbald Gypsy Vanner Draft Horse LOVE

Black Pinto Piebald Gypsy Vanner Draft Horse LOVE

Bay Brown Pinto Skewbald Gypsy Vanner Draft Horse Trotting in Snow

T&H Van Works Unlimited got their start in the early '70s, riding the wave of custom van fever and offering a huge selection of custom parts from porthole windows and sunroofs to side pipes and flare kits. From their Los Angeles, California showroom, they also operated a thriving mail order business, with ads in all the major vanner magazines instructing people to write them for a free catalog. In the early '80s, custom vans had died down considerably, and T&H expanded their offerings to support the booming mini truck craze, but by some time in the '90s as mini trucks began falling out of favor, T&H called it quits.

Formed in 1987 under the moniker Katzenjammer, Kyuss would go on to be the coolest band during their lifetime. With scorching-hot riffs, serpentine grooves, and no rush to get anywhere faster than absolutely necessary, they truly encapsulated the vastness of the California desert from which they hailed, which makes their unique cult following all the easier to understand.

Founded in the small desert town of Sky Valley, California in 1971, the aptly named Sky Valley Van Works was a small shop doing big things during the heyday of van customization. Whether you were looking to go low with some serious street van attitude or looking for a go anywhere 4x4 conversion, Sky Valley Van Works could make it happen. From all out custom jobs like their 'Foxy Box' to basic upgrades like porthole windows and side pipes, the guys at Sky Valley were a true gem in the desert that was worth the drive to get your rig tricked out.

Black and White Gypsy Vanner Draft Horse LOVE

Vinny

Unlike most van shops of the day that focused on selling and installing custom parts and accessories, The Van Doctor was a comprehensive auto body and mechanical repair shop. Sure, they also sold the goodies to make your ride stand out, but that was secondary to this Van Nuys garage.

The Iron Cross became an integral part of the biker lifestyle in the '60s and '70s and still remains popular in many subcultures today. Bikers have always enjoyed shocking the citizenry and the Iron Cross still does this today due to its unfortunate association with the National Socialist German Workers' Party, but let's not forget that it has always stood for honor and service beginning with Frederick William III, King of Prussia, issuing the Iron Cross as a medal for service during the Napoleonic Wars as early as 1813. In both biker and van culture, these crosses can often be found as embellishments forged in metal on custom rides appearing as everything from side mirrors and valve stem caps to sissy bar decorations and fuel tank caps.

Formed in 1987 under the moniker Katzenjammer, Kyuss would go on to be the coolest band during their lifetime. With scorching-hot riffs, serpentine grooves, and no rush to get anywhere faster than absolutely necessary, they truly encapsulated the vastness of the California desert from which they hailed, which makes their unique cult following all the easier to understand.

Formed in 1987 under the moniker Katzenjammer, Kyuss would go on to be the coolest band during their lifetime. With scorching-hot riffs, serpentine grooves, and no rush to get anywhere faster than absolutely necessary, they truly encapsulated the vastness of the California desert from which they hailed, which makes their unique cult following all the easier to understand.

Gypsy Vanner Horse in gold siluet.

Formed in 1987 under the moniker Katzenjammer, Kyuss would go on to be the coolest band during their lifetime. With scorching-hot riffs, serpentine grooves, and no rush to get anywhere faster than absolutely necessary, they truly encapsulated the vastness of the California desert from which they hailed, which makes their unique cult following all the easier to understand.