Caravans from 1960 onwards

Paperback · 250 x 207mm (portrait) · 96 pages · Over 100 colour and black and white photographs. Published March 03

A colourful, in-depth look at trailer (touring) caravans and the caravan industry since 1960. Coverage includes many of the less well-known & unusual designs. Lavishly illustrated.

With the first book receiving a great reception from both caravan and none caravan press, volume two was already in the progress of being written. In this volume, I start from the swinging 60’s a time when the consumer boom was taking off. Also the UK caravan industry was expanding in a way which has never been witnessed since.

New names such as Swift, Ace, Mardon, Abbey, Silverline and Elddis all came about in the early part of this decade. The book contains rare photos of these then small manufacturers models. Most are in colour too. Check out the luxury makers who built to a discerning market such as Welton, Safari, Castleton, Cheltenham, Carlight and the innovative luxury Regency which came complete with fridge, convector heater, gas locker and shower-back in 1965.

The famous Sprite caravan is covered in its own chapter in the book under the heading of Sam Alpers Caravans International. Again rare photos of Sprites being built in 1964 are included, with more pure 70’s colour publicity shots of the CI range including Eccles, Fairholme and Bluebird Europa’s. This chapter describes just what a global company CI was back in those heady days. Its founder Sam Alper had been the driving force behind the fast expanding company till its demise in the 80’s when the UK’s economy was in dire straits.

	Silverline from 1967 with Simca towcar
	Robin 14 from 1969, not the rear end of a Hillman Hunter as the towcar
	Lynton interior from 1970, shows how a modern tourer was seen 30 years ago
	How about this as your tow car in 1964, pulling the Bessacarr Rex !
	Bailey were popular tourers back in the 70's, but have now become the UK's best selling tourers

Read about the new tourer names such as Vanroyce and Coachman which are now firmly and well established. More 80’s colour shots of A.B.I, Swift, Cotswold, etc. See how tourers became lighter and better equipped with mains electric’s, double glazed windows, better insulation, lighter but stronger chassis, heating, fridge’s and showers. These are all the items we have now come to expect in our modern day tourers, but were outstanding features in the early 80’s.

	Monolite were first tourers to have rear roof spoiler and bonded construction plus aluminium chassis in early 80's
	First Vanroyce produced in late 86 they were to quickly become an icon of luxury tourers

The book then comes bang up to date and checks out the 90’s as a time of major take-overs by Swift and Explorer Group. How the UK industry is still a major force to be reckoned with in the export markets and as other UK industries fall by the wayside the caravan industry still flourishes although now run by several manufacturers instead of dozens of smaller concerns, as once was the case.

With over 100 photos mainly in colour I made sure this second volume complements the first. I have covered the vast majority of manufacturers going into enough detail without getting to technical and making it heavy reading. Hopefully you may now go out and purchase a copy to compliment the first. I know you won’t be disappointed and I would like to hear any of your comments by using the contact page on my web site.

Just as Volume one, stocks are now being depleted on the first editions, so it’s a case of ordering now to avoid being disappointed. You can do this by contacting Veloce direct at www.veloce.co.uk or Amazon, Smiths, Waterstones, or Bol.Com all stock my books.

Several snapshots from Volume Two are displayed on this page for you to sample some of the various rare photos included in the book.