Aerosmith’s First Touring Van Preserved And Returned By “American Pickers’
A van used by Aerosmith in its early touring years has been returned to the band by the “American Pickers” tv show, who discovered it in rural Massachusetts.
The rediscovery of the van was a centerpiece of one of the episodes of the popular History Channel show last year, with Aerosmith founding member Ray Tabano confirming the authenticity of the vehicle.
The broken-down van was found on a piece of property in the woods of Chesterfield, Mass., a town with a population of 1,200 about 100 miles west of Boston, according to the Associated Press. The property owner said the 1964 International Harverster Metro van was on the property when he bought the land from a person who had a connection to Aerosmith. The band’s founding member Ray Tabano confirmed it was a van used by the group to go to small gigs in the New England area.
Mike Wolfe, one of the hosts of “American Pickers,” said he and co-host Frank Fritz paid $25,000 for the van, calling it “a piece of American rock and roll history.”
Tabano and Wolfe, after a restoration of the vehicle, presented the vehicle to the band on an episode that broadcast July 9. The hosts brought the vehicle to Las Vegas where Aerosmith was holding its Deuces are Wild residency.
