A-Team’s 1979 Chevy G-Series 2500 Van Is Headed To Auction

One of the most famous Chevy vans of all time is hitting the block at a Worldwide Auctioneers event in Scottsdale, Arizona, in January 2022. This famous old 1979 Chevrolet G-Series is one of six built and licensed by Universal Studios to appear and promote the TV series The A-Team in North America from 1983 to 1987.

When it comes to TV show cars or automobiles owned by celebrities, the most frequent question is how much value does the famous connection add to the equation? We will soon find out what the A-Team van is worth as it will be offered with no reserve, so we can comfortably say that when the gavel falls, we will have the answer.

Although it’s unclear how many of the six A-Team shaggin’ wagons survive today, the vans that appeared on-screen were jumped, crashed, or blown up, (see video) and few are thought to have survived. Evidently, the writers of the show loved seeing the vans crashing and flying through the air.

All the Chevrolet vans for the series were painted with an instantly recognizable paint scheme consisting of a black lower body, a red stripe, and grey above the beltline. They were kitted out with a rear spoiler, a front air dam, quad exhaust tips, and classic 15-inch American Racing “Turbine” 14-spoke wheels mounted to 60 series BF Goodrich rubber. In other words, the definitive gear of the day.

The van craze of the ’70s and ’80s was quite a moneymaker for OEMs, upfitters, and aftermarket suppliers. Along with the A-Team Chevy, there was the Scooby-Doo rig and a rash of van B-movies that capitalized on the craze. Sammy Johns’ mega-hit, “Chevy Van” ruled the airwaves at the height of “Vanmania.”

Inside, you’ll find the famous four white bucket seats, bins for storing weapons and equipment, wall-mounted rifles, and a big old machine gun mounted in the back to fend off the bad guys that were usually in hot pursuit.

The term “A-Team” was a term for US Special Forces Operational Detachments Alpha (ODA) during the Vietnam War in the sixties. The premise for the title was the four main characters are former Special Forces who are fugitives after being framed for crimes they didn’t commit.  You know, an idea to base umpteen episodes of spell-binding television around.

The cast included B.A. Baracus (Mr. T), John “Hannibal” Smith (George Peppard), Templeton Peck (Dirk Benedict), and H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock (Dwight Schultz). Episodes revolved around various escapades and the van was usually front and center – frequently tricked out for special duty.

The van craze of the A-Team era laid the groundwork for the van life movement we see today. While the slant nose, European vans we see today are nowhere near as cool as the old models, the spirit of exploration, autonomy, hanky- panky, and living on the margins of society remain.

If all this turns you on, the van can be yours. Worldwide Auctioneers are offering this van without reserve at the Scottsdale Auction on Saturday, January 23rd, with the proceeds benefiting the J. Kruse Education Center, a 501(c)(3) organization providing career pathway development to students and transitioning veterans.

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Dave Cruikshank

Dave Cruikshank is a lifelong car enthusiast and an editor at Power Automedia. He digs all flavors of automobiles, from classic cars to modern EVs. Dave loves music, design, tech, current events, and fitness.
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