The very first riveted aluminum Airstream – You can see it in person

Wally Byam’s Airstream trailers are the stuff from which legends come. When RV manufacturers trot out superlatives, we usually duck. Who wants to be hit with advertising baloney? But the use of the term “iconic” in connection with the original Airstream line does actually seem appropriate. There’s just a sense of timeless history when you see an early Airstream. Would you like to see the very first riveted aluminum Airstream? You can!

Clipper #1—The very first riveted aluminum Airstream

Airstream, Inc. says it’s now displaying what is believed to be the first riveted, aluminum Airstream travel trailer ever produced by the company. This historic model joins a lineup of vintage units on display at the Airstream Heritage Center, at the company’s headquarters in Jackson Center, Ohio.

On display at the center is the very first Airstream Clipper model manufactured in 1936. “Clipper #1” was designed and built by Airstream founder, Wally Byam, and is the first rounded, riveted aluminum travel trailer manufactured by the company. It will be presented on display alongside more than a dozen vintage Airstreams. Included among them is the final Clipper model the company produced in 1941. That’s when Byam paused manufacturing at the onset of America’s involvement in World War II.

From Masonite to aluminum

How is it that Airstream has these two historic rigs? Both units are owned by David and Mary Gulley of The Gulley Collection. The Gulleys have loaned the rigs to Airstream for the display. Collector David Gulley is an avid Airstream traveler in addition to being one of the world’s foremost Airstream collectors. Gulley pointed to the historic relevance of this iconic model. It signaled Byam’s shift from building Masonite travel trailers to the riveted aluminum models that have made Airstream an American heritage brand.

“This is where Airstream as we know it today started,” Gulley said. “If Wally Byam hadn’t switched to aluminum, none of us would be hitting the road in our Airstreams today.”

“The Airstream Heritage Center was built to showcase almost a century of this company’s history – the design, the innovation, and the incredible travel stories that stretch across the years and around the globe,” said Bob Wheeler, Airstream President and CEO. “We couldn’t be more proud to have this historically important model on display alongside more than a dozen vintage Airstream models, and we’re immensely grateful to The Gulley Collection for their generous support.”

The addition of Clipper #1 alongside Airstream’s own 1938 Clipper (nicknamed “Old Grand Dad”) and The Gulley Collection’s 1941 Clipper (nicknamed “Old Grandma”) means Airstream now houses three of what are believed to be only twelve Clipper models known to remain.

Finding and restoring Clipper #1—another story altogether

Just how Clipper #1, the very first riveted aluminum Airstream came to be found after decades is a fascinating story. You can read about it here.

##RVT1156b