An Aerosmith Tour Van Featured in Several 'American Pickers' Episodes — Where Is It Now?

Leila Kozma - Author
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PUBLISHED Jun. 28 2021, 2:41 p.m. ET

A few years ago, the hosts of American Pickers received what can only be described as the lead of a lifetime. As Season 19 Episode 13 of the fan-favorite reality TV show revealed, Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz were introduced to a man named Phil, who bought a property in Chesterfield, Mass. with an abandoned van on the premises. The vehicle turned out to be a rock-and-roll relic that was once owned by Aerosmith. What happened to the van since then? Here's an update.

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Season 19 of 'American Pickers' featured an episode dedicated to an Aerosmith touring van.

The mysterious van first appeared in Season 19 Episode 13 of American Pickers, which chronicled Mike and Frank's attempts to authenticate the vehicle with the help of Ray Tabano, the Aerosmith founding member who was replaced by Brad Whitford in 1971. After buying the van for $25,000, the cast of American Pickers set out to preserve as many of its original features as possible before giving it a thorough redo.

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The artwork, including the iconic logo, and the secret ceiling compartment where the members of the band likely used to keep personal belongings are just some of the parts the crew managed to salvage. As Season 20 Episode 16 of American Pickers revealed, they had to use a donor van to install a new engine and front end, but aspired to create a final product that bore an uncanny resemblance to the original.

Season 20 Episode 16 captured a meeting between Mike, Frank, Danielle Colby, and Aerosmith members Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Joey Kramer, and Tom Hamilton. The iconic vehicle brought back some old memories for the legendary musicians, who quickly began to share anecdotes about what their life was like while they were busy touring New England in the hope of establishing themselves on the 1970s rock music scene.

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"Let me tell you a little bit about this guy. This guy's name was Mark Lehman," Joey described the art on the van's exterior. "He drove the van. He serviced the van. He set up our gear. And he ran the sound system."

Another thing about the vehicle that immediately garnered Steven's and Joe's attention was the sound the sliding door made.

"There are two sounds that I remember," Joe said. "One is the tape rewinding in the studio and that [door.]"

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Source: YouTube

The members of Aerosmith decided to buy the van back.

The legendary musicians of Aerosmith decided to buy back the vehicle. For a while, it stood outside the lobby of the theater where they have been holding the feverishly anticipated shows organized as part of their Las Vegas residency, as per Fox News. During Season 20 Episode 16 of American Pickers, Joe also remarked that he wanted to see the iconic van inside the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. It's uncertain where the van is now, however.

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