The oldest camper in the world goes under the hammer

On September 10, the Bonham auction house will exhibit the oldest known motorhome in the world. The base car for this wonder is the Ford Model T - the specimen has been widened and reinforced by Baico, and Dunton of Reading (known for the production of high-quality caravans) is responsible for the body and interior.

The vehicle was commissioned by the Bentall family - founders and owners of the British chain of department stores of the same name. It is believed that the vehicle was sold in the 1920s, and then the fate of it is lost. It was eventually found in Shepperton and restored in the 1970s by Leo Smith with the help of his friend Robin Tanner - an extremely talented carpenter.

The oldest motorhome in the world - construction

Surprisingly, more than 95% of the original body parts were found to be reusable. After about four years of renovation work, the reconstruction was completed and the vehicle has participated in many historic rallies since 1976 and has been the protagonist of many fairs (including London-Brighton, Caravan and Holiday Show in Earls Court etc.) as well as a television program with the participation of members of the royal family. The body of the building made entirely of wood translates into good insulation.

The floor is made of sanded and varnished pine. The motorhome has compartments accessible from the outside and inside. The windows are decorated with green, velvet curtains with which you can completely darken the interior of the vehicle. The driver / passenger seat is a comfortable, swivel (of course!) Leather couch with an integrated storage compartment. There are four sleeping places, and behind the cabin there is a wood-burning stove for heating and preparing meals. This Welsh-style chest of drawers provides plenty of extra storage space in the interior.

Perfect quality

In 1987, "CR 4134" appeared in a long article in What Motorcaravan magazine (December issue). Testing editor Bill Taylor was clearly impressed: “The quality of the material and workmanship is excellent in every way, and the result of the renovation is a nice and comfortable camper. I do not know a second - even contemporary - design that offers this amount of storage space. This unique vehicle features stylish interior decorations, brass lamps, pots and pans, paintings and antique souvenirs. It is also equipped with external lamps, a canister, a spare wheel and even ... a letterbox and a platform at the rear. The only thing missing is ... a toilet. However, if you consider that not all houses at that time had such "amenities", you can fully understand in this regard.

The engine is responsible for the drive with a capacity of 20 (TWENTY) horsepower. The starting price is to be in the range of 20-30 thousand. pounds.

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