Post by Don Ricardo on Feb 25, 2016 17:01:24 GMT 10
YORK CARAVANS
Manufactured by York Caravans Pty Ltd
Smithfield, NSW
York Caravans commenced production in 1969, the last year of the generally accepted Vintage Caravan era.
On 2 March 2009 Franklin1 posted the following information on the Classic Caravans forum:
York caravans were made by Millard Caravans, and were believed to be a budget version of the more expensive Millard brand. It is not clear exactly how the York differed from the Millard to make it cheaper, because comparisons of the two models show many features/fixtures/fittings to be the same.
York caravans first appeared in the Sydney NSW market in March 1969. Advertisements trumpeted, "NEW! First Showing! New YORK Caravan..."
Three weeks later the same dealer was advertising: "OUTRIGHT WINNER IN '69. ACCLAIMED BY THE EXPERTS AS THE CARAVAN OF THE YEAR. THE NEW "YORK"..." (...Quite an achievement for a caravan that had been on the market for only 3 weeks...!
) The models ranged from 13ft, 15ft, 17ft, 19ft and 22ft.
The York brand name carried through until the later 1970s. The original York nameplate logo consisted of the letters YORK in black on a white background with black border. In the year ?? the logo changed to just black YORK letters affixed to the cladding...
Text: "Last weekend I tested the smallest of the York caravan range - the 13ft by 7ft Special. It towed beautifully at all speeds up to 50 miles an hour. The towing vehicle I used was a Ford Cortina G.T. with a four speed manual gearbox. Even on steep hills it had plenty of power. I thought the use of a towing aid would be useful on the sharp corners on the road to Wiseman's Ferry, where I spent the weekend. The tow-aid kept the combination level by transferring some of the weight from the tow-bar towards the front wheels of the car. Towing conditions increased the fuel consumption from 27 miles per gallon to 23 m.p.g. I found the 13-footer could easily be unhitched and manoeuvred by myself.
Manufactured at Smithfield by York Caravans Pty Ltd, the 13ft York Special is sold and serviced by Suttons Motors at Concord. It is built on a welded steel chassis and oregon framework. The exterior is covered in white acrylic aluminium which looked to be very durable and maintenance-free. The interior is lined with laminated veneer which does not need painting and is easily cleaned by wiping with a damp cloth or sponge. Flooring consists of marine 5-ply, covered with vinyl floor tiles. The roof is in one section, and this eliminates any chance of water leaking in. Sleeping accommodation is for four adults in a "night and day" at the back of the van and the dinette at the front converts into a double bed. Bedding and cushions are vinyl-covered foam rubber. Interior space was excellent in the van and gave me the impression I was in a much larger van. The width is 7ft with well over 6ft in headroom. Lighting was good, with plenty of glass area, and all windows had curtains, holland blinds and flyscreens. Night lighting came from two large dome lights powered by either 240v or 12v. Ventilation was excellent with a large two-way hatch in the roof. Sleeping in the van was quite comfortable, even with cold conditions outside. Interior fittings include a three cubic ft gas/electric refrigerator, 2-burner stove with griller, stainless steel sink and a large amount of wardrobe and overhead storage space. Water is drawn from a 12-gallon nylon tank mounted under the floor. Wheels are 13in mounted on a single axle and brakes are the mechanical override type.
Priced at $1585 on the road, the York was made available by Suttons Motors Concord. The Cortina G.T., priced at $2595, was by courtesy of Ford Australia Pty Limited. The Tow-aid is available at Suttons at a cost of $24."
On 5 December 2009 Franklin1 provided an explanation of the connection between York and Suttons Motors, and the serial numbers beginning with 'Y' and 'YS', to a member of the Classic Caravans forum here:
...I do remember seeing (a York caravan) for sale a month or two or three ago...and the sticker on the front said...
Suttons were the big Holden dealership in Sydney at the time, and the start of the 1970s was when the caravan industry was booming, and every man and his dog wanted a piece of the action. An English investment company bought the Franklin caravan company from its private owners; Monier concrete bought a controlling interest in Chesney caravans in Brisbane; and Viscount in Sydney was floated on the Stock Exchange.
Suttons must have decided they also wanted to get on the bandwagon, and must have made an arrangement with the Millard owners to have a caravan built that they could put the Suttons name to. Hence the launch of the York brand (By Suttons ). Funnily enough, the Suttons connection didn't last very long (only about a year or so, if that), before the connection was severed. I have no idea what happened to cause the end of the relationship, but the York name just continued on without the Suttons name attached.
Your chassis number has the additional "S" letter for the Suttons connection, but at some point in time after your van, the 'S' was dropped and the chassis numbers just became a 'Y' followed by consecutive numbers.
cheers,
Al.
Further information about the history of York caravans and their serial numbers can be found on the Classic Caravans forum here
Manufactured by York Caravans Pty Ltd
Smithfield, NSW
York Caravans commenced production in 1969, the last year of the generally accepted Vintage Caravan era.
On 2 March 2009 Franklin1 posted the following information on the Classic Caravans forum:
York caravans were made by Millard Caravans, and were believed to be a budget version of the more expensive Millard brand. It is not clear exactly how the York differed from the Millard to make it cheaper, because comparisons of the two models show many features/fixtures/fittings to be the same.
York caravans first appeared in the Sydney NSW market in March 1969. Advertisements trumpeted, "NEW! First Showing! New YORK Caravan..."
Three weeks later the same dealer was advertising: "OUTRIGHT WINNER IN '69. ACCLAIMED BY THE EXPERTS AS THE CARAVAN OF THE YEAR. THE NEW "YORK"..." (...Quite an achievement for a caravan that had been on the market for only 3 weeks...!
) The models ranged from 13ft, 15ft, 17ft, 19ft and 22ft.The York brand name carried through until the later 1970s. The original York nameplate logo consisted of the letters YORK in black on a white background with black border. In the year ?? the logo changed to just black YORK letters affixed to the cladding...
Text: "Last weekend I tested the smallest of the York caravan range - the 13ft by 7ft Special. It towed beautifully at all speeds up to 50 miles an hour. The towing vehicle I used was a Ford Cortina G.T. with a four speed manual gearbox. Even on steep hills it had plenty of power. I thought the use of a towing aid would be useful on the sharp corners on the road to Wiseman's Ferry, where I spent the weekend. The tow-aid kept the combination level by transferring some of the weight from the tow-bar towards the front wheels of the car. Towing conditions increased the fuel consumption from 27 miles per gallon to 23 m.p.g. I found the 13-footer could easily be unhitched and manoeuvred by myself.
Manufactured at Smithfield by York Caravans Pty Ltd, the 13ft York Special is sold and serviced by Suttons Motors at Concord. It is built on a welded steel chassis and oregon framework. The exterior is covered in white acrylic aluminium which looked to be very durable and maintenance-free. The interior is lined with laminated veneer which does not need painting and is easily cleaned by wiping with a damp cloth or sponge. Flooring consists of marine 5-ply, covered with vinyl floor tiles. The roof is in one section, and this eliminates any chance of water leaking in. Sleeping accommodation is for four adults in a "night and day" at the back of the van and the dinette at the front converts into a double bed. Bedding and cushions are vinyl-covered foam rubber. Interior space was excellent in the van and gave me the impression I was in a much larger van. The width is 7ft with well over 6ft in headroom. Lighting was good, with plenty of glass area, and all windows had curtains, holland blinds and flyscreens. Night lighting came from two large dome lights powered by either 240v or 12v. Ventilation was excellent with a large two-way hatch in the roof. Sleeping in the van was quite comfortable, even with cold conditions outside. Interior fittings include a three cubic ft gas/electric refrigerator, 2-burner stove with griller, stainless steel sink and a large amount of wardrobe and overhead storage space. Water is drawn from a 12-gallon nylon tank mounted under the floor. Wheels are 13in mounted on a single axle and brakes are the mechanical override type.
Priced at $1585 on the road, the York was made available by Suttons Motors Concord. The Cortina G.T., priced at $2595, was by courtesy of Ford Australia Pty Limited. The Tow-aid is available at Suttons at a cost of $24."
On 5 December 2009 Franklin1 provided an explanation of the connection between York and Suttons Motors, and the serial numbers beginning with 'Y' and 'YS', to a member of the Classic Caravans forum here:
...I do remember seeing (a York caravan) for sale a month or two or three ago...and the sticker on the front said...
YORK
BY SUTTONS
BY SUTTONS
Suttons were the big Holden dealership in Sydney at the time, and the start of the 1970s was when the caravan industry was booming, and every man and his dog wanted a piece of the action. An English investment company bought the Franklin caravan company from its private owners; Monier concrete bought a controlling interest in Chesney caravans in Brisbane; and Viscount in Sydney was floated on the Stock Exchange.
Suttons must have decided they also wanted to get on the bandwagon, and must have made an arrangement with the Millard owners to have a caravan built that they could put the Suttons name to. Hence the launch of the York brand (By Suttons
). Funnily enough, the Suttons connection didn't last very long (only about a year or so, if that), before the connection was severed. I have no idea what happened to cause the end of the relationship, but the York name just continued on without the Suttons name attached.Your chassis number has the additional "S" letter for the Suttons connection, but at some point in time after your van, the 'S' was dropped and the chassis numbers just became a 'Y' followed by consecutive numbers.
cheers,
Al.
Further information about the history of York caravans and their serial numbers can be found on the Classic Caravans forum here