Post by Don Ricardo on Nov 9, 2017 22:06:56 GMT 10
TOP FLIGHT CARAVANS
Built by Charlestown Joinery Works,
Edward Street and Main Highway, Charlestown, NSW
At this point we only know of Top Flight caravans from line advertisements which appeared in the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners Advocate newspaper from 1949 to 1950. As indicated above, the caravans were built in Charlestown, which is a suburb of Newcastle.
The first advert for Top Flight appeared in the Newcastle Herald on Thursday, 17 February 1949 (page 7), and was for a 15 ft, 4-berth caravan:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134350339 )
However, an advert published on Friday, 4 March 1949 (page 8) - only a couple of weeks later - suggests that Top Flight may not have had much interest in their vans at the listed price, because they reduced the price of the 15 ft model by £65 due to "big demand for cheaper caravans". There is also a reference to a 10 ft model:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134352248 )
An advert placed a few days later on Monday, 14 March 1949 (page 5) tells is that in addition to the 15 ft and 10 ft models, Top Flight also built a 12 ft model...
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134353469 )
...and on Monday, 18 April 1949 (page 4), that the vans were also available as shells or fully built:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134342269 )
There is a hint that the sale of vans may have been a bit slow in an advert printed on Thursday, 18 August 1949 (page 7), in which Top Flight offered to take on spray painting jobs:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134457440 )
The previous adverts don't tell us much about the vans, but an advert placed on Wednesday, 12 April 1950 (page 8), tells us a bit more about how they were fitted out:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140638213 )
The vans are described as "luxuriously furnished throughout", but innerspring mattresses, stainless steel sink, bath, stove recess, wardrobe, dressing table, cupboards, a steel chassis and 6 & 240 volt wiring sounds like pretty standard fare for an early 50's van.
The last advert placed in the Newcastle Herald by Top Flight was published on Wednesday, 24 May 1950, which suggests that the Charlestown Joinery Works may have stopped manufacturing caravans after that point:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article135296102 )
There was one further advert for a Top Flight caravan printed in the Newcastle Herald on Saturday, 17 April 1954, and that was an advertisement for a second-hand van, or possibly an onsite van, located at Belmont South Park. Belmont South is another suburb of Newcastle:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134912355 )
The fact that all of the adverts for Top Flight caravans were published in the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners Advocate and that the only second-hand van we know about was located only a few kilometres from where it was manufactured, suggests that Top Flight was most likely focused on the local market based around Newcastle.
It's a pity we don't know what Top Flight caravans looked like, as is the case with the vans built by quite a few other small 40's and 50's manufacturers. Hopefully one will turn up on the forum one of these days.
Don Ricardo
Built by Charlestown Joinery Works,
Edward Street and Main Highway, Charlestown, NSW
At this point we only know of Top Flight caravans from line advertisements which appeared in the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners Advocate newspaper from 1949 to 1950. As indicated above, the caravans were built in Charlestown, which is a suburb of Newcastle.
The first advert for Top Flight appeared in the Newcastle Herald on Thursday, 17 February 1949 (page 7), and was for a 15 ft, 4-berth caravan:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134350339 )
However, an advert published on Friday, 4 March 1949 (page 8) - only a couple of weeks later - suggests that Top Flight may not have had much interest in their vans at the listed price, because they reduced the price of the 15 ft model by £65 due to "big demand for cheaper caravans". There is also a reference to a 10 ft model:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134352248 )
An advert placed a few days later on Monday, 14 March 1949 (page 5) tells is that in addition to the 15 ft and 10 ft models, Top Flight also built a 12 ft model...
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134353469 )
...and on Monday, 18 April 1949 (page 4), that the vans were also available as shells or fully built:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134342269 )
There is a hint that the sale of vans may have been a bit slow in an advert printed on Thursday, 18 August 1949 (page 7), in which Top Flight offered to take on spray painting jobs:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134457440 )
The previous adverts don't tell us much about the vans, but an advert placed on Wednesday, 12 April 1950 (page 8), tells us a bit more about how they were fitted out:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140638213 )
The vans are described as "luxuriously furnished throughout", but innerspring mattresses, stainless steel sink, bath, stove recess, wardrobe, dressing table, cupboards, a steel chassis and 6 & 240 volt wiring sounds like pretty standard fare for an early 50's van.
The last advert placed in the Newcastle Herald by Top Flight was published on Wednesday, 24 May 1950, which suggests that the Charlestown Joinery Works may have stopped manufacturing caravans after that point:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article135296102 )
There was one further advert for a Top Flight caravan printed in the Newcastle Herald on Saturday, 17 April 1954, and that was an advertisement for a second-hand van, or possibly an onsite van, located at Belmont South Park. Belmont South is another suburb of Newcastle:
(Source: National Library of Australia nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134912355 )
The fact that all of the adverts for Top Flight caravans were published in the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners Advocate and that the only second-hand van we know about was located only a few kilometres from where it was manufactured, suggests that Top Flight was most likely focused on the local market based around Newcastle.
It's a pity we don't know what Top Flight caravans looked like, as is the case with the vans built by quite a few other small 40's and 50's manufacturers. Hopefully one will turn up on the forum one of these days.
Don Ricardo