Pete Davidson Tricked Out a Minivan to Prepare for Dad Life

The van—a Honda Odyssey—is a lifted, matte-black beauty that Davidson wanted to be practical enough to bop around in with his soon-to-be-born child, but also not something that felt tired or lame. So, naturally, he added a baby-changing table (practical) and a mini fridge (sick as hell). The car’s designer, Tony Angelo, came through with the goods, which also includes a feature that anybody who whipped a minivan in the 2000s will remember fondly. “My big thing was, I want the bubble TV with the VHS player,” Davidson says, listing the board-game-come-to-life classic Jumanji as the movie he most associates with van cinema. “I was like, ‘Make the car a sick matte black, how any Italian douchebag from Staten Island [would want]. Do the same sort of thing, but with this minivan. Go fully nuts.”

As part of this project, Davidson and eBay are also auctioning off a second fully pimped-out van on eBay inspired by the one Davidson will keep. All the proceeds from that sale will go to Answer the Call, a nonprofit Davidson selected, which supports families of NYC first responders who died on the job. The inspiration behind the van comes from his burgeoning fatherly instincts, of course, but also a real interest in automobiles. He mentions a 1993 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck as one of his favorite vintage finds, but it was nothing like owning one of the tri-state area’s most legendary vehicles.

“I was into cars for a year or two,” Davidson tells me. “But now I’m into cars that kind of make me feel special and have a soul. Tony Soprano’s Escalade, I got at an auction. I have the actual one! It’s the comfiest fucking car I’ve ever been in my life. It’s unbelievable.”

Calling in from upstate New York, Davidson refers to the Escalade as one of this country’s peak inventions—“Like, we really did it”—before sharing more thoughts on the American experiment, particularly its biggest city that he called home for many years. In classic dad fashion, he’s feeling the pull of the suburbs. “New York’s over. Just the city. I think everyone’s going to start trending up[state]. There’s so much beauty in New York. You don’t have to take two hours to go from Brooklyn to fucking Manhattan to go to a doctor’s appointment.”

This is nothing new for Davidson, who also once bought a decommissioned Staten Island ferry with Colin Jost, his old SNL castmate. Scouring the internet for old, unique items is simply what happens once you become a dad. Same with asking your partner if, rather than going out for your birthday, you can stay in, watch cartoons, and “maybe get a fire going,” which is what Davidson swears he and Hewitt did for his most recent birthday in November. “Elsie was so sweet,” he says, warmly. “Best birthday ever.”

While fatherhood is still a few months away, the baby’s chariot is all ready to go, complete with tailormade tires and a muffler that make Dad smile, plus an engine that he assures me has some hum to it. If someone in a matte black Odyssey cuts you off in upstate New York traffic, give him a break. He’s probably just explaining the genius of Robin Williams to his kiddo.