Aerosmith's First Touring Van Found by American Pickers
The first Aerosmith touring van was featured on an episode of "American Pickers," after being discovered by the shows' hosts Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz.
The vehicle, a 1964 International Harvester Metro with the name of the band painted on its side, had spent decades rusting in a forest near Chesterfield, Massachusetts. The episode, titled "Roll Like a Rock Star," was first broadcast on July 30.
Wolfe and Fritz were told that the vehicle was already there when the current owner took possession. It was said that the previous owner had some connection with Aerosmith, although it was not clear what it could be. To ensure his origin, Wolfe contacted his friend Dan Auerbach, a Black Keys member.
Auerbach passed photos of the truck to Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry , who in turn contacted guitarist co-founder Ray Tabano, who was replaced by Brad Whitford in 1971, but stayed connected to the band. Tabano lives nearby, so he went to see the truck and confirmed that it was the real vehicle, even bringing a picture of himself sitting inside.
"I'm afraid to say how long it is, but 40 years have passed since we were in this," said Tabano, describing the truck as the "rolling hotel" of Aerosmith in its early days. "We would drive from Boston to New Hampshire for a $125." he added. "After paying for the fuel, the tolls, the food and the return, we had 3 dollars left for each one ... It just reminded me of the humble beginnings and I look at where the band came from today, and it's just incredible."
Wolfe and Fritz paid $25,000 for the old Aerosmith vehicle. It remains to be seen what will happen to the truck.
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