A Successor to the Hippie Van

ONE surprising legacy of the DaimlerChrysler union, which was expected to bring luxury-car polish and high-tech innovation to the American partner, turned out to be a commercial vehicle called the Sprinter.

Sprinters serve as prisoner transports, top, a cafe's rolling billboard and FedEx delivery vans.

Conceived in Europe as a Mercedes-Benz delivery truck in the 1990s, it was first brought to the United States under the Freightliner name in 2001; later, it became available as a Dodge, too. Despite being marketed as a tradesman’s van and a hotel shuttle, the tall, spacious box has found a devoted following among Americans.

It has become the favored vehicle for a new generation of van fans, argued Paul Saffo, the futurist and Stanford University teacher, in his blog at saffo.com. The Sprinter, he wrote, became the spiritual successor to the Volkswagen Microbus of the 1960s and the Ford Econoline and other vans of later eras, noting that private individuals “began purchasing Sprinters, turning them into mobile homes, windsurfing carriers, pedigree dog show transporters and, of course, surfer vans.”

Early this year an updated Sprinter arrived, offering a choice of V-6s — a 154-horsepower diesel or a 254-horsepower gasoline engine — to replace a five-cylinder diesel. It comes in two choices of wheelbases and three heights, including the new Mega Roof with 84 inches of standing room. Base prices are ,290 for the cargo version and ,490 for the passenger model.

Sprinters bound for the United States are built in Düsseldorf and Ludwigsfelde, Germany, and shipped to Ladson, S.C., outside Charleston, where final touches are applied to the cargo versions. Though the parents have divorced, Sprinters will continue to be sold here, Chrysler said. Basically a wide-open box in its standard cargo form, the Sprinter’s layout ought be familiar to Chrysler’s new chief executive, Robert Nardelli, formerly of the big-box retailer Home Depot.

Sprinters can carry 12 passengers or lots of cargo, as FedEx and UPS know. Owners prize the easy access to the interior. There’s a standard sliding door on the right side and an optional door on the left. The rear doors swing out 270 degrees, and when open are secured with cleverly placed magnets.

The Sprinter’s nimble handling and tight turning circle appeal to drivers tired of herding their motor homes down the road. R.V. makers, including Winnebago and Airstream, use Sprinter platforms for smaller models.

Possibly the most radically customized Sprinter is the Becker JetVan. Built by a California company known for limousine conversions, it offers a menu of upgrades, including private-jet-style seating, satellite TV and electric shades sandwiched between layers of glass (an option priced at about ,000). A fully optioned JetVan sells for about 0,000.

Law enforcement agencies have taken to the Sprinter as well; Dodge promotes the van for transporting prisoners and SWAT teams, and as a rolling command post or investigative unit. Bad Boy Bail Bonds, based in San Jose, Calif., uses bright green Sprinters bearing the company motto: “Because your Momma wants you home.” The bondmobile is one of many Sprinters documented on the Web at streetcarmike.com.

Van enthusiasts who have maintained their ’60s idealism will be gratified to learn that hybrid Sprinters are in the works, at least on a trial basis. A fleet of up to 20 plug-in hybrid Sprinters using lithium-ion batteries will be placed with customers in the test program to evaluate the technology.