3 days ago
One night in a basic hotel convinced the McLaren F1 designer to make this van
The eBay Lounge is still powered by its original 1.7-litre V4 petrol engine, for example, albeit modified to burn E5 fuel, and has the four-speed gearbox it left the factory with.
The only major change, apart from Stevens' redesigned event space, has been its conversion from left- to right-hand drive and the addition of a pop-up roof.
'During the early discussions, we agreed it would have no silly 21in wheels or be lowered,' says Stevens. 'Instead, we said it must respect the original design and specification and not spoil it with a sad caravan interior.'
On that point, Stevens was able to draw on the experience of his motorhome. 'That vehicle showed me what I don't like in a caravan interior,' he says. So in place of pastel shades and floral fabrics, Stevens has chosen dark wood for the cabinets, a brushed steel sink with a smoked glass cover, a cool-looking counter-top fridge and a tough, uncarpeted floor, all from eBay sellers.
Also from eBay are a Bentley alloy wheel table, passenger and driver seats that can turn 180deg and a pair of 'old timer' retro sports seats for use outside.
Stevens' favourite item is the Classic JLR retro radio sourced from the Jaguar Classic Parts store on eBay. Envisage also went shopping for parts on the website, sourcing everything from Mk1 Transit headlights to drivetrain and suspension components from the official eBay Ford store. Fuel pipes, brake lines and electrical and other parts also came from eBay.
