[VAC] Re: '38 Airstream on eBay-History of Airstream

["Scott & Lise Scheuermann" <schrmnns@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Jim,
I doubt that the '38 is the real thing. The following info is paraphrased
from the 1997 Feb and May issues of The Vintage Advantage, authored by Bud
Cooper.
	late 1920's Wally tinkers with a tent platform on a Model-T axle
	1930 Wally starts making trailers
	1932 The Airstream name appears
An Airstream could be obtained in three ways,
	1 As a ready made trailer
	2 As an assemble it yourself kit
	3 As a set of blueprints (for $5) and make it yourself
These early Airstreams had bodies made of masonite and canvas. The oldest
known surviving Airstream was made from blueprints by Dr. Holman in 1935. He
is still living and uses his trailer regularly. Many years ago he had the
masonite covered with aluminum. There is a picture of him and his trailer on
the VAC website at http://www.airstream.net/rallies/99-dayton/index.html
Also check out the following link for a great many Airstream pictures. At
least one of which is a 1932 Airstream.
http://www.airstream.net/as_photos/photos.html

	1934 Hawley Bowlus started building an aluminum trailer
	1936 Bowlus files for bankrupcy
	1936 Wally Byam bought out Bowlus
	1936 Wally modifies the Bowlus design to enable the door to be moved from
the front to the side of the trailer. The 1936 Airstream trailer was born.
It was the first of the aluminum Airstreams.

But back to your question. The only possible way that I can see that 1938
trailer being an Airstream is if is mislabled as to the year, or perhaps it
was made from a kit or blueprints and was not finished by its owner until
1938, thus he called it a 1938 model. But in truth the 1938's were of the
"modern" all aluminum aircraft design.

Scott Scheuermann