Ford Econoline — It Changed How Vans Were Built

The 1961 Econoline Van and Ford Club Wagon and Cab over pickup when introduced were going to change the way everyone in the industry built a van. Development began in 1957 and it was to replace the F-series Panel delivery. The TTAC Creators Series tells stories and amplifies creators from all corners of the car world, including culture, dealerships, collections, modified builds and more.
An AI-generated transcript summary edited by a staffer is below.
[Image: Tony's Fords and Mustangs

Speed Academy transitions the motorsports-focused 2JZ-swapped BMW M3 into a more street-friendly machine.  The process involves replacing a racing shifter with a factory unit, rebuilding damaged rear brake lines, troubleshooting rotor floating setups, and installing new wheels and tires to improve road manners.
Speed Academy is a website and YouTube channel based on making things go fast and enjoying cars. Peter Tarach and Dave Pratte are the forces behind Speed Academy.The TTAC

GM is weighing whether to open its soon-to-be-finished battery development center in Warren, Michigan to outside startups, giving smaller players a shot at manufacturing expertise they could never afford to build themselves.The idea came up at the Battery Show in Detroit on Oct. 13, when Kurt Kelty, GM's vice president of battery and sustainability, fielded a question on how the United States might sustain battery innovation while EV demand stalls and investment dries up. Kelty said the company

In 2016, Volkswagen offered two SUVs: The Tiguan and the Touareg, and they accounted for 14 percent of total sales. Ten years later, VW has five SUVs and they account for 80 percent of U.S. sales. The company, once known for compact cars, now mostly sells SUVs in North America. Hey, times change.  When Atlas debuted as a 2018 model, it gave VW an entry into the seven-seat SUV segment. Since then, Atlas and the five-passenger Atlas Cross Sport have sold over 1 million units combined. And 1

For the last few decades, American vehicles have been trending toward gargantuan largeness. But there’s mounting data suggesting that may be about to change.
We’ve discussed automobiles increasing in size before. The rationale behind the trend comes from manufacturers exploiting emissions loopholes and prioritizing larger vehicles offering superior profit margins per unit sold. American drivers have also shown a clear preference for sizable automobiles in general — viewing them

GM Defense showed up to the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. with a Chevy Silverado 3500 HD that doesn't need anyone behind the wheel.The Unmanned Ground Vehicle concept uses the skateboard architecture of the dual-rear-wheel Silverado 3500 HD, and GM Defense wants it hauling supplies and performing casualty evacuation with no driver aboard. Functional testing is targeted for 2027. The pitch is familiar corporate logic dressed in fatigues: use what GM alr

Ask most people what BYD does and they will say electric cars. That is true, and it undersells the company by a wide margin. BYD is a Chinese multinational manufacturing conglomerate that builds rechargeable batteries, stationary energy storage, solar panels, semiconductors, forklifts, and entire monorail systems. The car business is the loudest part. It is not the whole company, and it was not even the first. BYD Company Ltd. operates across electronics, autos, renewable energy, and rail trans

The 2027 Chevy Silverado 1500 and 2027 GMC Sierra 1500 arrive as all-new generations, with new sheetmetal, reworked cabins, fresh powertrains, and a pile of new technology. Buried among the convenience add-ons is a feature for anyone who hauls more drinks than drywall: a console-integrated cooler.The new Console Cooler sits under the center armrest in both pickups and wears RPO code SAD under the LPO designation, according to GM Authority. That means a dealer installs it after the fact rather t

The ASUS Oxiis E250G1 is a universal friction-drive motor system that converts any conventional bike into a smart e-bike with no modifications to your gears or brakes. Just easy installation, and you're ready to ride.  The Oxiis delivers 250W of rated power with a 500W peak burst for instant acceleration. Adaptive boost technology automatically detects inclines and provides seamless assistance for effortless climbs. A wireless cadence sensor keeps things clean and simple, while a smart bra

The soft top and RF hard-top Mazda MX-5 are both a load of fun and reasonably priced fun sporty drive! Take your pick of 6-speed manual or automatic transmission too! Friend of the site Connie Peters reviews the 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata. Take a look at the video or transcript below to see what she thinks. 
The TTAC Creators Series tells stories and amplifies creators from all corners of the car world, including culture, dealerships, collections, modified builds and more.
A transcrip

The supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8 is returning to the Dodge Charger for 2028, according to an internal Stellantis document obtained by MoparInsiders. The document maps out the eighth-generation Charger's (LB) planned powertrain roster, and it includes a new SRT variant that bolts the Hellcat to a ZF 8HP95 eight-speed automatic. For anyone who assumed Dodge had surrendered entirely to inline-sixes and batteries, consider this the strongest signal yet that the blown V8 lives.
The Hellcat shows u

For decades, wealthy Californians have dodged their state's taxes by titling expensive cars to paper companies in Montana — but not any more. The trick was simple and legal, and it cost California real money. Now a new law has rewritten the rules so that the dodge no longer works the way it used to. If you own a supercar, a six-figure RV, or any other vehicle registered to an out-of-state LLC while living in California, the arithmetic that made the scheme attractive has changed.
Montana ma

No factory two-door Wrangler has ever shipped with more than six cylinders, and the factory 392 program keeps that streak alive: the 392 is a JL-generation vehicle, but Jeep offers it only in the four-door, not the two-door. The rumor mill long assumed the answer was fitment, as if a 6.4-liter Hemi simply couldn't be made to fit between the frame rails of the shorter truck. It can. The real reason is physics, and it is the same physics that makes a dirt bike loop out if you crack the throttle to

Citroën has revived the legendary 2CV, suggesting that a production model could land on the European market by 2028 with a claimed MSRP of €15,000 (about $16,800).
It’s the exact kind of car the world seems to need right now. The original 2CV debuted in 1948 to provide affordable transportation for Europeans still recovering from World War II. The model was slow, basic, and quite possibly the most easily repairable vehicle ever manufactured in large numbers. Over 5-million exampl

Kia wants you to believe the EV3 will become its best-selling electric car in the United States. Young Kim, Kia's senior product planning manager in charge of the car, said at the EV3's press drive that the company expects the little crossover to take the crown. When? He wouldn't say.The EV3 has already pulled off the feat in Europe, where it launched a couple of years ago. Kia says it topped the Hyundai Motor Group's electric sales in the region over the first six months of 2026, moving roughl

An original Batmobile from Tim Burton's 1992 "Batman Returns" is crossing the block in Los Angeles on November 23, and the estimate reads like a hypercar price list with an extra digit bolted on. Julien's Auctions and Turner Classic Movies expect it to fetch between $5 million and $7 million, according to the Robb Report. If it lands at the top of that range, Julien's figures it would be the priciest car ever built for the screen.
The Burton-era Batmobiles started life as Chevy Impalas, then go

The first generation Taurus of 1986 launched in four trim levels and offered a wide array of optional extras. Many examples were equipped with one of Ford’s Preferred Equipment Packages (PEPs), that bundled popular options together at a cost savings and made ordering vehicles easier for dealers and customers.To keep the (very high volume of) customers flowing Ford updated the first-gen model a few times over its six-year run, and added a sporty variant and Lincoln sedan along the way. In i

Geely Auto is coming to Canada. The company recently confirmed it will startup Canadian operations and a dealer and service footprint before any vehicles go on sale in 2027. What it won't tell you is which vehicles those will be.For a company staking out a new market, Geely Auto Canada is keeping an impressive number of cards face down. No models. No pricing. No dealership locations. No word on whether its opening lineup leans electric, hybrid, or old-fashioned gasoline. A Canadian team is repo

Robin Warner explores the 2025 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X, highlighting its refreshed design and mechanical features, including the naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V6 engine and Bilstein shocks.  This walkaround covers the updated front fascia, interior technology, bed functionality, and various package configurations available for this model.
Views on Vehicles focuses on new car reviews and news, presented by Robin Warner, a perennial car nut. The reason for the channel's focus becomes cry

Hyundai built an off-road concept bristling with armored body panels, chunky off-road wheels and tires, a lifted suspension, and a full catalog of rock-crawling accessories. The only problem for anyone itching to drive it: it doesn't exist in physical form. The Crater Concept lives entirely inside a video game.Engineers at the Hyundai America Technical Center in Irvine, California, created the Crater to preview the automaker's evolving XRT off-road design language. It's an EV, naturally. Its ru

The Ford GT90 did not arrive like a normal concept car.  No, it arrived like someone at Ford had taken the idea of restraint, placed it on a workbench, hit it with a spanner, and then asked Special Vehicle Operations to build a midengined supercar before anyone from accounting could find the door. 
This was 1995. The McLaren F1 was already out in the world, being perfect and irritatingly clever. The Ferrari F50 was about to arrive with Formula One theatre and an enormous red ego. And

Honda wants to charge your EV while you drive. Not at a stall, not in your garage overnight, but in motion at highway speeds, via induction coils buried in the pavement. On-road demonstration testing is slated to begin April 1, 2027, on a purpose-built road in Japan's Saitama Prefecture.This idea isn't new, and the graveyard is instructive. Qualcomm pushed a version it called "Halo," demonstrating prototype EVs juicing up as they rolled over an expensive stretch of induction-laced road in Franc

It wasn’t that long ago when SUVs skyrocketed to the top of the market, becoming the biggest selling segment in the industry.  It was impactful enough that Ford and General Motors dumped their sedans to focus on filling any gaps in the SUV market. However, after decades of midsize utes being the lead dogs, in terms of sales, the pendulum appears to be swinging the other way.Chevrolet rolled out its new two new small SUVs today — the 2027 Chevy Trax and 2027 Chevy Trailblazer &m

The Samson Switchblade, a 3-wheel, street-legal vehicle that transforms into an aircraft in under 3 minutes.  Built for aviation enthusiasts, Switchblade blends driving and flying with a hybrid drive system, regenerative braking, and even reverse thrust in flight mode. Specs at a glance: 
Drive mode: up to 100 mph, range 450 miles Flight mode: up to 200 mph, ceiling 13,000 feet  Seats: 2 (side-by-side), payload: 575 pounds Category: Experimental (owner builds 51% w

The seven-year car loan is no longer an edge case. According to Edmunds, loans of 84 months or longer accounted for more than 25 percent of new-vehicle financing in the third quarter of 2026, a new record. That's up from 23.9 percent in the second quarter and 21.8 percent a year earlier, per Edmunds. One in four new-car buyers is now signing up to make payments well into the next presidential term.Several financing metrics hit all-time highs in Q3, according to the Edmunds data. The amount fina

Two years after the Type 00 concept detonated across social media in Miami, Jaguar has brought the production car, predictably badged Type 01, to a reveal in New York. The concept's debut got buried under the outrage over the company tossing aside nearly 90 years of heritage. Now there's an actual car to argue about.Order books stay shut until early 2027, and Jaguar says first deliveries won't arrive until the back half of that year, assuming the schedule doesn't slip again. It already has, by

Charging an EV at home is supposed to be about as thrilling as plugging in a phone. One Rivian R1S owner got the opposite experience, and the photos are brutal.Images posted to the Rivian subreddit show an R1S whose entire front end is cooked, plus substantial fire damage to the garage next to it. The Reddit user who shared the pictures said they came across the aftermath while walking the dog, and a neighbor said the blaze broke out while the Rivian charged through an extension cord.
That is a

Industry design trends have left the world with a deficit of cute cars. The modern bias has been to give vehicles a menacing aura, ideally nodding to the model boasting some kind of off-road performance. Despite being known for fielding playful automobiles, Mini has decided to update the Countryman using that exact recipe with the new Untamed Edition.
The crossover receives a set of all-new Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tires which will be wrapped around 19-inch light-alloy wheels that will

Way back in the last century, the world was facing a multitude of problems, and in order to inspire confidence in Americans, then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt — a big car fan! — told the country, “The only thing to fear is fear itself.” Fast forward nearly 100 years, U.S. automakers are facing, well, a multitude of problems. However, no statesman is stepping up to assuage the worries of top executives at car companies with a similar statement. In fact, many are po

In episode 148 of Tales From the Beat, Strategic Global Media founder and CEO Scott Merritt and partner Dwain Schenck tackle divisive issues with host/journalist Ed Garsten that include who is a journalist and what is the toughest and most misunderstood job in PR. They also bat around the effects of AI in story pitching and Ed reveals a boo boo he made when he hopped over to corporate PR from journalism. TTAC Creator Ed Garsten hosts " Tales from the Beat," a podcast about the automotive a