Airstream Feted by European Magazine Friday, March 7, 2008
The European version of the iconic Airstream travel trailer has racked up two awards since being introduced to the retail market last August.
The 27-foot Airstream 684 recently was named "Best Import" by the German Caravan magazine, and in late February garnered the "Best Caravan Award" among 15 entries from the 1 million-plus Caravan Club, which operates 3,000 campsites in the United Kingdom.
"It’s unique for the European market," said Stuart Hicks, managing director of Airstream Europe Ltd., Penrith, United Kingdom. "The majority of the caravans (RVs) here are white boxes and don’t look much different from each other. And Airstream provides some real authenticity."
The 7 1/2-foot-wide European Airstream is "nowhere near comparable" to its U.S. counterpart, Hicks said. "They look like a U.S. Airstream but it’s very much different what's inside them."
For instance, European Airstreams are equipped with lightweight German furniture and are heated with a central radiator system made in Sweden.
Airstream Europe sends lightweight German-made chassis to Airstream Inc.’s factory in Jackson Center, Ohio, which assembles the unit’s aluminum shell. The trailer is then returned to the United Kingdom where it is outfitted to meet British and European standards. "It takes a great deal of effort," Hicks said.
The European Airstream, with a base price that tops $90,000 (U.S.), is being sold by dealerships in Penrith, Mengerskirchen, Germany and Gouda, Holland.
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