‘Melvan’ Featuring Artwork by Kurt Cobain Sells for $24,701 on eBay

As an automobile, this 1972 Dodge van has seen better days. But as a pop culture artifact, it’s worth over $20,000, thanks to some scribbling Kurt Cobain did on the side during his stint as a roadie for sludge metal pioneers the Melvins.

The car, dubbed the ‘Melvan,’ was sold last night (Aug. 28) on eBay, where its previous owner, musician Ben Berg, watched the auction conclude with a winning bid of $24,701 — not a bad price for a 40-year-old set of wheels that he described by writing, “It does run, but could use a new set of tires and a brake job.”

Still, it’s a far cry from the $99,999.99 the van went for during Berg’s original attempt to auction it off in the spring– a bid that went unpaid because it didn’t meet the reserve price he’d set, in addition to some questions regarding the authenticity of the artwork.

This time around, Berg listed the van along with a pair of letters, including one from original Melvins bassist Matt Lukin, verifying that the Kiss-inspired graffiti on the side was indeed scrawled by the future Nirvana frontman. No word on the new owner’s plans, but if you live in the Washington area and you happen to notice a spray paint-covered old van in a parking lot, just remember — that could be a “one of a kind piece of grunge rock history” you’re looking at.