Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[gresham flyer]

hello,has anybody any photos,names,or descriptions of jubilee caravans built in the 1930s.thanks mark.

[cobber]

G'day Mark,

Look mate, I only know what I read about English Caravans so don't ask any hard questions right ?

Apparently “Jubilee” were started by J.W. Smart in 1936... but after building the first one with the help of a Mr. J.C. Beckett.. and displaying it at the Caravan Club Easter Rally that year... Mr Smart decided it was not one of his best ideas.

Mr Beckett took over the project.... by the first quarter of 1937 82 caravans were completed by a work force of 75 people.

In that first year Jubilee had as standard fitting lantern roofs on all models, on their larger model they also had French polish furniture and fitted servo brakes and “Botto” gas.

So far as I can work out the “Dragonfly” was the larger model.
There were also "Butterfly" “Moth” and “Glider” models aimed at the lower end market and according to the “History of the Caravan” author W.C. Whiteman the last two were made by a Mr. R.G. Stephens of Northhampton, when he took over the operation I don't know.

Most of the above information was gleaned from the 1997 issue of the magazine “Historic Caravan Scene” which is put out by “The Historic Caravan Club”. The photo below also comes from that magazine...... I hope they don't mind, I wish I had every edition of that magazine.



Corrections or further information is invited from locals with more knowledge than I have about English caravans

Cobber.