1986: Foreshadowing Telstar Logistics

This was the vehicle that started it all...

I bought this 1974 Dodge Tradesman 200 van in 1986, for $700. Parking challenges in Providence, Rhode Island inspired the experiment in corporate camouflage seen here. The first fake-company name was "T and W Industries" -- a reference to Todd and Wally (my college roommate).

This van, which also featured a deluxe interior covered in fake wood paneling and green shag carpet, served as a crucial testbed for the development of vehicular camouflage techniques, including fleet unit numbering and rear safety chevrons.

This vehicle was deactivated in late 1987, following catastrophic mechanical failures resulting from a very fun summer road trip to Boulder, Colorado. The two rear doors survive, however; they are preserved in the basement of my ancestral home in New Jersey.

T and W Industries, meanwhile, was acquired as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Telstar Logistics in 1994. Substantial synergies have been realized from the merger, resulting in significant value being returned to shareholders.