Here’s Your Chance to Buy an Art Deco-Styled Trailer from the 1940s
Why settle for a travel trailer that looks like it’s from a bygone era when you can buy one that is actually from that time?
A gorgeous 1946 Spartan Manor Model 25 is currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer. The single-axle vehicle does have some wear and tear on it, but has been restored and updated with several modern-day features.
Spartan may not be as well remembered as Airstream—or even Bowlus—but it is responsible for some of the best-looking travel trailers of the post-war era. The company was started by William G. Skelly in Tulsa, Okla., in 1928 and built luxury planes for much of its early existence. Following World War II, then-owner J. Paul Getty decided to pivot and start building trailers out of the use of the company’s trademark aluminum monocoques, according to Car and Driver. These vehicles, like its aircraft, were aimed at the wealthy, and many featured stylish, all-metal exteriors and lavish interiors.
1946 Spartan Manor Model 25
Bring a Trailer
The Manor Model 25 is one such caravan. Stretching 25 feet end-to-end, it features an Art Deco-styled body finished in polished aluminum. The head-turning finish may lead to comparisons to one of Airstream’s iconic Silver Bullets, but Spartan’s trailer stands alone thanks to its sharper defined lines and a unique profile. The trailer underwent a three-year restoration last decade and now rides on a fresh steel chassis.
As part of that process, the interior was outfitted with mahogany floors, white-painted birch plywood wall panels, and fully insulated with Rockwool. The eight-foot-wide cabin is roomy, and includes a designated observation room that doubles as a dining area, a kitchen with plenty of counterspace and storage, and a bedroom with its own shower and toilet. The space has also been equipped with a number of modern-day creature comforts, like a refrigerator, three-burner cooktop, and a Breville air fryer. There’s also an updated electrical battery system, a water heater, and holding tanks for white, gray, and black water.
Inside the Manor Model 25
Bring a Trailer
Intrigued? The Manor Model 25 is up for auction for two more days. As of press time, bidding sits at just $4,000, which may be due to the fact that the trailer is currently located in Nelson, British Columbia. Fortunately, Bring a Trailer has a resource page for those looking to import a vehicle from Canada.
Click here for more photos of the 1946 Spartan Manor Model 25 travel trailer.
