ooh, shiny!

Canned hams, polished Airstreams, Atomic wonders and even a homemade truck camper- some original, some restored, some reinvented to indulge an owner's fantasies- as individual as hot rods once were, these are the retro trailers from the 2011 Airstream Show at Palm Springs Modernism Week.

They are famous and luxurious names like Airstream and Spartan- and some lesser known like Airfloat and Road Chief. There's even an super modern Holiday House, a little known venture from the founders of Harry and David. They range from the late thirties through the early seventies, and each has a story to tell- of places visited, families hosted, and adventure together on the open road.

Hook one up to the Country Squire wagon and let's go!














































See more photos here

sunday drive: trailerite

The country found its wanderlust in the postwar decade. True there had been trailers in the thirties, mostly small boxy creations, but the dream was fulfilled in the fifties. The birth of the interstate highway system and the advent of the high compression engine created smooth ribbons to travel upon and powerful cars to traverse them.

That the trailers evolved as well was all but a foregone conclusion. The Airstream and the Spartan were the most deluxe. The Spartan, produced by the Spartan Aircraft company (owned by J. Paul Getty) was a masterpiece of aluminum and birchwood and ranged in size from 28 all the way up to 50 feet in 1956. Wally Byam introduced his Airstream trailer in 1936 but his products caught fire in the postwar decades of the fifties and sixties (not literally of course, that was the Ford Pinto.)

Modernism Week here in Palm Springs has been a smash success and I've had an awesome time. Yesterday was an awesome vintage trailer show here at the ACE Hotel and we were treated to Airstreams, a Spartan, a Silver Streak and a few lesser brands.

So just for a moment be like Nicky and Tacy in search of the Bungalowette trailer, and come along with me to the trailer show.

Maybe you'll end up being a trailerite too...





























More Trailer Show Here