55 years of Hobby - an extraordinary story

This year, the Hobby brand celebrates its 55th anniversary. If you want to describe the brand, it's hard to believe that it has been a determinant of trends and technological solutions all this time. Currently, they are ultra modern, full of the latest solutions, masterpieces of design and functionality. When thinking "Hobby", most of us - caravanning enthusiasts, however, still have the "classic" models used by our parents and even grandparents at the back of their heads. It is worth remembering how it all began.

It started with a vision

The founder of the company Harald Striewski came up with the idea to build a caravan during his vacation - it was a visit to a campground in Denmark. In his biography, he writes: “I did not like the decor of the plywood trailers. I was sure it could be done better. " He then borrowed 2,000 Deutsche marks from his aunt for materials to build the first trailer in his garage. He sold it "on the trunk" for the entire 6000 marks. The second trailer from his garage production found a buyer before it was finished.

In 1967, the Hobby company was established, and in 1968, the model portfolio of the young company consisted of 5 different models of trailers. They were adapted to the trends of the time - geometrically "arranged" inside, and white on the outside. The goal of Striewski was to produce one trailer a day. And in 1968 he already achieved this assumption. Until 1979, 50,000 trailers were produced, and in 1982, after only 15 years of existence, it was a total of 100,000 units!

In the meantime, other leading brands have already expanded their motorhome range. The Hobby brand joined the "game" only in 1984, when the prototype of the iconic Hobby 600 model appeared. In the same year, 60 units were produced and sold. In 1986 it was already 800 units, and the popularity of this model grew invariably until the appearance of a newer version of the base - Fiat Ducato.

Prophetic words of the founder

Of course, over the decades, Hobby too has had to contend with ups and downs. However, the words of the founder of the brand, which describe his attitude to this phenomenon, seem interesting and at the same time prophetic. As he puts it in his autobiography: “After nearly 25 years of experience in the industry, I have learned how to take advantage of the ups and downs in new vehicle registrations. Whoever invests in times of weak demand instead of timid savings will be best prepared when the recreational vehicle market grows again. "

Another 30 years have passed since these words, and the Hobby concern is still a family business. At the age of 86, senior Striewski deserved a little more free time, but the only changes that took place were the transfer of shares of the Hobby group to two foundations and the establishment of boards in which (and how!) Striewski senior himself and his son belong. Organizationally and operationally, almost everything remains unchanged within the concern. Interestingly, the entire group includes several daughter companies, the most famous of which remains Fendt-Caravan GmbH.

The story of Harald Striewski, who was forced to flee the East Prussia area with his family right after the war, is a true success story. Over the course of more than half a century, the brand built and led by this visionary has become almost synonymous with a caravan. The sales results, especially during the pandemic, seem to confirm that the company and its products enjoy unflagging interest, but also a reputation in the caravanning world. It remains to wish the founder many healthy years, and his successors the same consistency and creativity in running the brand for the next decades. All the best!