Look at the large creature before you. A fiberglass cacophony of components from various manufacturer parts bins, known as the MSV. Initially, I thought the short acronym could only mean My Special Van, but those letters actually represent the company behind this beast: Mauck Specialty Vehicles.
Hop in the back, and we’ll embark on a voyage to… recreation.
A small blip on the RV radar, MSV was around for just three years — 1996 to 1999. Headquartered in Worthington, Ohio (a northern Columbus suburb), the company partnered with Custom Coach Corporation in Columbus.
Production figures totalled over 100 vehicles, delivered to domestic and overseas customers. MSV managed to wrangle a couple of celebrities out of their hard-earned cash, as Alan Jackson and George Foreman both took an interest in the company’s luxury RVs.
Prices were high, usually over $200,000 per unit. Available in both commercial (30 feet) and personal (25 feet) lengths, each MSV required 600 man hours of hand assembly. An underlying carbon steel frame is concealed by 37 custom fiberglass panels and 13 specialty windows. Over 2,700 unique parts went into each MSV.
Power is delivered by a GM Vortec 454 engine, paired with a GM 4L80E truck transmission, though a diesel option exists in the form of a Cummins 5.9-liter straight-six unit. That mill pairs with an Allison heavy-duty tranny. These taillamps should look familiar to anyone who lived in North America between 1993 and 1998.
Parts bin components were used throughout the vehicle in order to keep costs down to moderate Midwestern home levels. GM provided the engine, suspension, wiring, and brakes, while headlamps came from Ford and their Aeromax semi truck. Front wipers came right from the Toyota Previa.
Do you recognize the driving lamps? Here’s a hint: Dodge V10.
The MSV featured butterfly doors, a unique design in the RV spectrum. Also of note: the cyborg roof-mounted spotlight.
Customers could select from a list of options, though all versions came well-equipped. Our example today was specified to the luxury end of the scale.
Beyond the jet black exterior lies an interior of wood and jade-green leather. Would you care to sit and watch Ellen?
It seems additional seating was added later. These black seats appear to be from a minivan, but which one?
This MSV is on offer via a sales aggregator, Auction123, for $49,900. Small potatoes for any vehicle with butterfly doors.
[Images via seller]
That’s the largest most luxurious Lumina APV I’ve ever seen!
Ha.
The Cadillac of minivans.
Wasn’t that the Oldsmobile Silhouette?
Correct, but all were U-body hence the reference.
What movie was that from? Something with Travolta?
“The Cadillac of Minivans” was a reference to the Oldsmobile Silhouette. Chillie Palmer drove a jet black one, that he claimed was a “rental” in the movie “Get Shorty”
I thought it resembled a Brubaker Box scaled up by 2x in every dimension. 8X the volume and surely 8x the price.
Looks like an interesting ride, as long as you can find a copy of the Bill of Materials so the luckless mechanic isn’t left scratching his head wondering which automaker was the source of some particular widget.
The domes on top make it look like an autonomous bus.
…those look more like butterfly doors (e.g. mclaren F1) than scissor doors (e.g. lamborghini countach)…
Ooh, ZJ grand Cherokee lights. You know what they say, if you don’t know what a ZJ is, you can’t afford one.
Side note, am I the only person who keeps myself entertained on road trips by figuring out which production vehicle the RVs source their tail lights from?
I’ll do it stuck in traffic. Usually I’m moving too fast on the interstate to bother. I was once shocked to see these taillights on an RV.
https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/uwMAAOSwPcVVn-xW/s-l225.jpg
Gave me a flashback to high school.
C E L E B R I T Y
It started my love affair with Euro style amber rear signals.
Damn he beat me to it! A friend had an ’89 with the fancier lights
It’s alright, but not as cool as the Vixen 21 SE.
You’re right, wider is better, and the Vixen is coming with girth.
Was going to post just that. BMW turbodiesel in the tail, stickshift, fits in a normal height suburban garage, what’s not to love about a Vixen?
You want more RV?
We can do more RV.
I’d rather have an EM-50 from Stripes.
Those FWD GM RVs are super cool too. Oldsmobile Toronado big block and drivetrain under the hood.
That Toronado drivetrain received more testing for durability than pretty much any other item from GM.
At least the Vixen has a bathroom.
Bathrooms were available on these, just this particular example was fitted as executive transport and meeting space.
Fantastic find. It looks like a d.trump van of the 80’s . See him sitting there with some big hair chicks.
Curious find, didn’t know it existed. Campings cruel to vehicles. To be honest it doesn’t look like it has the best clearance for campgrounds. Those doors don’t look particularly practical for a side tent.
It’s a party bus, not a camper. Doesn’t have beds or a lavatory either.
Man, one of those would be pretty great for my kids’ soccer tournaments….
So when you get a cracked windshield, I guess you’re scrapping the vehicle.
You could like, glue two or three Previa windshields together.
The American Motors of recreational vehicles.
I kind of like it, but heaven help anyone who has to work on that unicorn.
Those bench seats look like they come out of a Chrysler minivan, prior to Stow & Go
That’s exactly right.
I wonder if any of these were sold to rock or country groups as tour vehicles. Though many of them tend toward larger fully equipped RV’s.
Are there really only about 100 of these in existence? There’s one routinely parked on the street a mile from me in Los Angeles, exposed to the elements and the sea. I always wondered what it was. It looks to me like it has been retrofitted as a party bus.
Well, if anybody wondered what the Chariot in “Lost in Space” would look like after a few redesigns, this would be it….you bubble headed boobie….
I like it but worry about those non-dually wheels. Would hate to have a blow out on a long sweeper turn.
There was one of these in my area about ten or fifteen years ago. It was operated as a limo-bus by some party tour outfit.
Cyclops is the one-eyed monster, cyborg is part human, part machine. I guess both could apply.
That interior looks awfully dated and wood-panelled for 1998, but I guess it fits the target audience if Alan Jackson bought one. It’s just begging to be lifted and kitted out like a giant Delica.
Anyone seen the new vehicle from them? Looks sort of like a Honda Element on steroids?
That seat upholstery looks GM era 95-2000. Perhaps Olds silouhette seats?
Are those add on seats from a GM minvan, seat upholstery looks to be period 95-00