Propert Pre 1950 Caravans.

[Richard]

With the help of Bill Propert we have come across this 1940's photo of this very interesting caravan at the Australian World Fair. If you look closely at the sign in the window of the van it reads "Propert's Pty Ltd".
So this would be one of the caravans that Thomas Propert Snr and Jnr had built in the 1940's after they had left the Properts Motor Body Works and started Propert's Pty Ltd.
One of the interesting things on the "Special" model is the small propellor on the front of the van that would have charged the caravan batteries while the van was moving.

The sign below reads.
"The Open Road" Caravan.
"Special" Model. $275.
Propert's Pty Ltd. L 5011

Since finding these photos I have found a couple of original 1939 adverts for the Open Road Caravan listed above.

[griffin]

Following a lead I found recently about a caravan show staged by the N.R.M.A. in 1939 I headed off to their library to view their 1939 copies of 'The Open Road' as I figured they would have published something about their own show and none of the copies I obtained recently covered it.

It was very interesting and while I only had a couple of hours I could have spent all day immersed in 1939 motoring issues.

In the October 5 issue I found this rather nice advertisement for Properts 'The Open Road Caravan' which has a flat front, and very short draw bar, compared to the one in the first post on this thread. It still has the great little propeller driven generator (I want one on my van, just as a conversation piece) lovely curtains and an axle that is set well back. It is a well equipped van according to the details in the ad and it has 'The Open Road Caravan' sign-written on the side. Wouldn't it be nice to find one in a shed??

In the November 2 issue I found the report I was looking for, but no photo, very disappointing. The article is written in the form of a walk through the exhibit and does not mention any item by the manufacturers name, everything is just generalised which again was disappointing. A list of exhibitors was given at the bottom of which was a note, "see picture on centre pages."

So that's quickly where I headed to find the photo below, which turns our to be the same as the first one on this post but showing the whole scene. I have 'fiddled' it a little to take out some of the wide black crease that extended through the middle of it as it was across the centre page.

It conclusively dates the van as 1939 and taken at the N.R.M.A. Camping and Caravan Exhibition.
Apparently Bill Properts memory may have led him astray in the initial description but so does mine and I'll bet I'm a lot younger than him.

The use of the name "The Open Road" for the van intrigues me too as it was the name of the N.R.M.A. official journal. Nice name for a caravan too but you have to wonder if there was an arrangement in place to use the name under the circumstances.

Caravan Park was another of the exhibitors and fortunately their display is included in this the ONLY photo published of the exhibition. Love the shape of their big van and the beaut little awning on the smaller one.

It turned out that this exhibition was the second so I guess I have some more research in time.

George

[Richard]

This early photo is part of the Propert photo collection and was posted by the Time to Roam magazine when they did a feature on Propert Caravans.

This is the early Properts workshop at Missenden Rd Newtown and features a Propert hand bodied car.
The caravan was originally thought to be a Propert caravan but with the keen eye of Griffin it was later revealed that it was actually a Caravan Park caravan, as Ron Rankin had a Caravan Park factory across the road from Propert's.

[Richard]

Not really a caravan but it is a very interesting article that I borrowed from The Broken Spoke magazine about a 1928 Model A Ford that has a Propert body which also includes the Propert patented camping device. ( well a folding front seat to be exact.)

[griffin]

A bit of a dilemma with these items, certainly pre 1950 and built by Propert, but just a trailer which could be used for camping.

1938-7-10 Propert trailer.jpg (168.09 KiB) Viewed 6727 times

An interesting similarity to the much sought after American Mullins trailer, so sought after they make fibreglass replicas.

And to go one better Propert offered a single wheel version too. I've always found the idea of a single wheel trailer a little quirky, nice to know that Propert was in the business.

I couldn't find them advertised in 1939 so maybe they were too quirky or the War but an end to the idea.
Something else for the dedicated Propert collector to keep an eye out for.
I'll have one of each thanks!!

George

[Luxford]

For those interested in this post I can maybe add a bit more.

The special bodied car with the caravan attached parked out side Tom Propert and Son factory is a 1923 Fiat 501 sports, the photo was taken in 1938.
Fiat 501 are a high class well made make of the time, its owner obviously was attached to the Fiat so much so he wanted it updated.
It would be wonderful if this car somehow managed to survive. It certainly is one that would have been considered storing and keeping instead of scrapping as most vehicles were.
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Its quite possible Propert's originally built a body on this chassis in 1923 as Fiats were one of the vehicles which they built bodies for during the Government Embargo in force in the 1920"s. As it shows styling similar to other bodies built by Properts one can assume that it is most likely that Tom Propert was the main designer of bodies, more so than his brother Alfred.

By 1938 Tom had established his separate business "Tom Propert and Son" in Missenden Rd while Alfred continued on in King St.
If you look at the trailer ads above you will notice they were being sold by Propert Pty Ltd not Tom Propert and Son. Both companies were advertising separate products at the same time in newspapers of the period. Alfred was selling and repairing cars, and hiring them along with caravans and trailers. Although doing similar products they were different ones,

During the second world war Tom Propert & Son had become JF Metcalfe mainly selling gas Producers still at the Missenden Rd address and Properts Pty Ltd were still in King St.

I have previously only been interested in the early years of Propert when they built car bodies only but different people have asked about the caravans, especially the folding ones. Some more investigation is needed into the later years, Obviously after the war Tom Propert again dropped the JF Metcalfe connection and continued on to develop the folding caravan. From Memory Alfred who I think was older was moving towards retirement.

[griffin]

Thanks Luxford

Any extra information is always welcome, the FIAT is a work of art and it would be nice to think it is still gathering dust in a shed, they still keep turning up so we can only hope.

George

[griffin]

Here's another photo of the Propert Fiat, from The Sun 15 November, 1938. Great little machine.

George

[griffin]

In strange contrast to the lovely streamlined FIAT built by Propert is this caravan which has more in common with a horse box!
Found on Trove in The Sun 26 June, 1938.
Richard might use his Patent finding skills to see what a Wilthorn Patent Ball Hitch was like?

George