Re: [VAL] 74 and 75 trailers were the best... ??

["Tom Patterson" <tommyjoe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Beatrice Foods purchased Airstream in December 1969 and sold it to Thor in
1979.

During this period many manufacturers of trailer and motorhomes went out of
business due to a huge slump in demand for recreational vehicles, caused in
no little way by the the Arab oil embargo in 1973-74, and successive
gasoline price increases.

"In 1973 O.P.E.C. raised oil prices 70%. The dominant Middle Eastern members
of O.P.E.C. used succeeding price increases as a political weapon aimed at
Western nations in retaliation for their support of Israel against its Arab
neighbors in the so-called Yom Kippur War of October 1973. Prices were
accordingly raised another 130% at the Tehran conference of December 1973,
and a temporary embargo was placed on the United States and the Netherlands
at the same time. Other prices increases followed in 1975, 1977, 1979, and
1980, which ultimately raised the price of a barrel of crude oil from United
States $3.00 in 1973 to $30.00 in 1980."(1.)

Airstream owners might do well to turn some thoughts of gratitude towards
Beatrice, for having the deep pockets that enabled the brand to survive
during these turbulent years.  I hear a lot of complaints about Beatrice,
but in fairness, they continued to produce the brand, and in fact, expanded
the facilities.

-Tom

 (1.) http://www.freeessays.cc/db/15/euz223.shtml