One thing is for sure - for all who take the time to ponder the identification
numbers on Airstream products - we find that there are often more questions than
answers.
Some of us look to decode the mysteries of the numbers from the perspective of
gold miners - in other words - we have a reason of our own to learn more - and
we procede with an interest that sometimes becomes a passion. It can be very
interesting trying to decode a mystery or mysteries. I know that I had a fascinating
time over a period of 5+ years trying to decode my "mystery 1936" which I first
thought was an early prototype Airstream - then realized it was "most likely" an
offshoot of the Bowlus production line after Bowlus was shut down and Airstream
took what was left over. (the new owner of my "mystery 1936" has performed a
stunning restoration on it - and it's now back on the show circuit where it belongs)
Some of us look to decode the mysteries of the numbers from the perspective of a
bookkeeper - we want everything to add up at the end of the day.
It only makes sense that when Airstream started building - they had no idea that
beginning in the 1990's people would start looking at the Airstream identification
numbers with an eye and interest that did not exist in the 1930's or 40's or 50's.
They had no idea that collectors would reinvent their product.
Way back when - the Airstream plant(s) logically had only a couple of basic reasons
to use identification numbers (1) for the purpose of keeping track of their stock and
assembly process and (2) the sales and registration/identification process (some states
use titles and some don't - that makes it even more complicated) and (3) the warranty
process.
Way back when - the Airstream plant(s) supposedly were encouraged to compete with each
other - and that competition would have been for the purpose of sales and marketing
and job status/promotion. It would not have been for the purpose of record keeping....
and it's possible that in the process of competition the factories did not communicate
openly about everything...so that could be a simple reason why the numbering systems
don't always match.
Way back when - it's logical that the process of keeping the numbering system in place
was a basic bookkeeping process - and as the person or persons in charge of the production
books and records retired or changed jobs etc...etc...the people who replaced them may
have chosen not to keep the process the same (in other words - it might not have been a
company policy - simply one person trying to design a better mouse trap). It may be that
at certain times the job of record keeping got backlogged....(there were no computers back
then)....and that "might" be a reason why some years the serial numbers kept going
sequentially....and some years that went back to zero and some years there are simply some
puzzles.
A lot of what we try to figure out today is based on trying to read backwards and have it
all make perfect sense.....while back then the people working the numbers may not have been
all that interested....and it was just a job. Who knows....maybe the bookkeeper had a bad
day....or slipped and hit their head and blacked out...and then recovered and went back to
their numbers not realizing they'd forgotten where they were...so they just picked a number
at random.
That may sound silly....but....it could also make sense back then when no one was devoted to
making our job today "make sense".!
RL McFarland
'57 Flying Cloud
'74 Silver Streak
'54 Midland Coach "St. Croix" (similar to Lucy & Desi's "New Moon")
'07 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Duramax/Alison/Crew-Cab/Dually
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2006 13:42:12 -0800
> > From: Glyn Judson
> > Subject: [VAL] Trivia stumper (to me at least).
> >
> > All,
> >
> > Jon's email below including his unit number brings to
> > mind a question about how Airstream numbering was done.
> > Jon's 1969 Globetrotter is #134 while my 1969 Caravel is #508.
> >
> > Did each model and length unit have its own set of
> > sequential numbers or did all of one year's production get
> > lumped together? For that matter, did the model numbers
> > continue until a major design change through year after year?