Re: [VAL] Shirley's Factory Tour Pictures

["Fred Coldwell" <agrijeep@xxxxxxxxx>]

Those malts and hops have not impaired Wally's power of observation.

The 1948 "Clipper" with the 1960's AIRSTREAM block letter name plate on 
its front is actually an early postwar Curtis Wright Clipper IF 1948 is 
the correct year of manufacture, which it appears to may be.  But if it 
is a Spring 1949 or later manufactured trailer, it would be a Silver 
Streak.  This "Clipper" trailer has no data [serial number] tag, 
Airstream or otherwise.  "Clipper" was a Curtis Wright model name since 
January 1947, but did not become an Airstream model name until mid-1949, 
after Silver Streak purchased all rights to the aluminum C-W Clipper.

This Clipper trailer has had an incorrect Airstream name plate on it for 
20 or so years.  But the factory was sold a bill of goods if it 
purchased that trailer thinking it was an Airstream; it never was and is 
not today.  Attaching an AIRSTREAM name plate onto another brand trailer 
does not convert it into an Airstream, no matter how hard one wishes.

Frankly, I find it very embarrassing for the factory to have this 
Curtis-Wright parked out front mis-labeled as an Airstream trailer, 
especially with a 1960's name plate.  Would Harley-Davidson display an 
Indian motocycle mis-labeled as a Harley in the Harley museum?  This 
mis-identification demonstrates the Airstream factory has no real grasp 
of its product history.

There is no evidence that Wally Byam and Curtis Wright Industries, Inc. 
ever co-produced a common travel trailer that used both brand names. 
Wally worked for Curtis Wright until early 1947, when he left to 
re-establish Airstream.  The Curtis Wright Clippers and Airstream Liners 
were and remain distinctly different and separate trailers.

The Bambi has an incorrect early deco style AIRSTREAM name plate in the 
correct location above the front window.

Fred Coldwell
VAC Archive Historian