Ford E-350 Centurion: An Abundance of Wrong…in the Best Way Possible!
Baffling van-truck was a dazzling display of excess, and we find it hilarious and really interesting.
At one point in the latest video from YouTube channel Regular Cars, the host simply asks, “Why do these vehicles exist?” It’s a fair question. After checking out the Ford E-350 Centurion van, we were definitely shaking our heads in disbelief. The truth is that the automotive industry has often taken bold steps in design and innovation to seek out that next great thing. But there are always hits and misses. For every Ford Inline 6, there is an equal and opposite reaction, ahem, Edsel. The Ford E-350 Centurion is definitely deep in the latter. That said, it is pretty hilarious.
The creator and host of Regular Cars, known as “Mr. Regular,” does a great job of telling us all about this van, er, truck. For the video he highlights not one but two E-350 Centurions: a 1986 and a 1989 model. Now, if you’re not familiar with Mr. Regular’s style, here’s a heads up, it’s a bit odd. Lots of jokes, plenty of goofing around, a little irreverence; but that’s what makes the reviews entertaining as hell.
“The Centurion was the darker, backwoods version of custom utility vehicles,” Mr. Regular says. And clearly, one need only look at this van truck hybrid to see that is very true. The E-350 was the brainchild of Centurion Vehicles, a coachwork company that did Ford van and truck conversions. In the case of the E-350, they took an E-series van and fused it with a truck bed, adding a fifth wheel for towing.
The idea was meant to appeal to farmers and people in the hauling industry. A main use would be for livestock hauling, allowing for a safe long haul, but offering a place to crash for the night while on the road.
Ford E-350 Centurion: An Abundance of Wrong…in the Best Way Possible! continued
