ORIGINAL CONDITION Carapark 1950's

Hi Farmertim,

Sorry to see that you haven't had any takers for the Carapark yet. It looks like a very nice van in good nick. A lot of Carapark's that turn up on the forum have sustained water damage, so it looks like the shed's done its job very well.

I'm not in the market for a new van, but I am interested in the background of the van from a historical perspective. I'm hoping that you may perhaps know or have access to some info that will help us to fill in some holes in our knowledge of Carapark and Paramount. If you are able to help us that will be great. If not, I hope you won't mind me asking.

In fact there's been a bit of discussion about your mother's partner's van on the forum here when the van was listed elsewhere. At the time we tried to work out the link between Paramount and Carapark. Part of the puzzle is that Paramount vans were built by two quite different companies in different states at apparently different times:

• Paramount in South Australia commencing around 1934 and ending around 1938 with the apparent death of the company owner and the sale of his plant.
  
• Paramount in Victoria commencing in the 50's and continuing through to the early 60's.

When we first saw 'your' van (if you don't mind me referring to it as that) in June 2011 we started with the assumption that the link was between Carapark and the Victorian Parmounts, but then one of our members suggested that the van was built by Carapark in South Australia. Since then a news report has been posted on the forum indicating that Carapark bought the 'Paramount factory' in South Australia in the late 50's and began to build vans there. So that fits with the Paramount name plate on 'your' van. That would also suggest that the South Oz Paramount factory continued to produce vans after the death of its founder, and the sale of the factory.

Sorry for the long intro, but I'm wondering if you can tell us:

• Whether there is any manufacturer's plate on the van, and whether it mentions Carapark or Paramount or both.
  
• If there is a manufacturer's plate, whether it gives any address.

I'm also wondering if your mother's partner is able to throw any light on the Carapark/Paramount connection, or the info I've set out above. I appreciate that he probably wasn't around at the time the van was acquired, given that it was bought for his parents' honeymoon. However, perhaps his parents may have told him some things about the van and where they bought it, etc.

As you probably appreciate, 'your' van is quite an intriguing one, and anything you can tell us will be appreciated.

In the meantime good luck with the sale. Given the van's condition it deserves a new owner who appreciates it for what it is, and the fact that it is of some historical interest.

Hoping to hear from you,

Don Ricardo