Actual Tow Car photos leaving/arriving home

[kenny]

Its pretty clear which powerhouse gets to haul this Coronet when its time for a vacation!!

[Mustang]

How many Aussy homes had a Morry Minor, my first Minor cost me $275.00 on wages of $17.00 per week.

[kenny]

I was researching something else and came across this nice Vimeo containing some vans. Its about a person's car collection but there are three nice old van's being towed by some classics! Judging by the rego plates it was filmed in Queensland. Note one of the caravan's carries a car rego plate. Enjoy (the first caravan appears at 3m 6s). regards kenny  vimeo.com/413110100

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Kenny,

Three great photos you've captured from the video.

The last of the three caravans looks like a fairly heavily modified Carapark Zestline. The shape and styling are very much the same, but some of the features (front and rear windows, the placement of the door vis a vis the roof line, and shape of the rear fins, etc) are quite different. Makes you wonder if it was a prototype or something similar. I notice the van has an FJ Holden central tail light and round Ford Falcon tail/turn lights in its fins.

Here's a photo of the front from the video:



The tow car is a Dodge Custom Royal from about 1959. I'd love to know the story of the van though.

I haven't identified the other two vans yet.

Don Ricardo

[jenwhe]

Aug 23, 2021 17:26:44 GMT 10 hughdeany said:

Hi Kenny,
I’m sure the VW did tow the van,back then things were slower and lighter and easier on cars.
Lots of small vans around then too before they all became overweight juggernauts!
Cheers
hughdeany

I was just thinking that; The old cars with solid motors, there was never a question of car recommendations for towing your van back then;
In comparison to today, it’s all; Yes sir and 3 bags full. Lol

[hughdeany]

Hi Don,
I have pics of the Zestline look alike in a Keith Winser magazine,the caption reads it’s a NZ van.
I know the Dodge in this pic looks like it has NSW number plates ( I think) so maybe one was imported?
Cheers
hughdeany

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Hughdeany,

That's fascinating to hear. Another example of cross-Tasman design sharing or cross fertilisation perhaps?

I'd love to see the photo from the Winser. Can you message it to me and then I can post it for everyone to see? (Or if it's in a Winser Caravan Manual, just let me know which year. I may already have a copy.)

By the way the rego plate on the Dodge is a Queensland plate. I can read the QLD at the top, and the number also begins with 'N' which was the beginning letter for Queensland's number series.

Don Ricardo

[Don Ricardo]

Sept 26, 2021 21:44:29 GMT 10 kenny said:

Here is another happy camper, this time back in 1956 (Ack SLQ catalogue).
Regards kenny

Hi all,

In discussing this van when Kenny posted the photo in 2021, I suggested it was an Orford. Hughdeany agreed…

Turns out we were wrong! The caravan was apparently a home build. The information about the photo from the State Library of Queensland tells us:

” The caravan is thirty feet long and was built by the owner, Mr J. J. Holmes, of Warnambool in Victoria. The caravan has three rooms which include a bed-sitting room, a shower recess and toilet and a kitchen-dining room, which has two extra bunks. At the t…”
(Source:  rosettagw.slq.qld.gov.au/recordLink/99183506563302061 Note that the text is cut off on the Library’s online entry for the photo.)

The photo is dated by the Library as 1956. That’s a decent size van for a home builder for that era, and pretty stylish to go with it.

It seems the owner and his family were visiting Queensland, given the house behind the caravan.

Don Ricardo