Our Touring Past

Crusader Caravans
Mr. Mackenzie
65 Crisp Street
Hampton, Vic.

This post might be a bit of a leap of faith as it were as I've had a copy of the photograph in this article for about 8 years and thought it might be a home built van. The original photograph was found in our Vauxhall Club library.

The article from Table Talk magazine 17 June, 1937, indicates it is a Crusader, a brand I've not heard of from this era. So posted here is the article and an enlargement of the van from the photograph to show some detail. Hopefully now it is posted someone might come up with some further information on this company, assuming that's what Crusader refers to in the text and not just a name that might have been given to it by the owner.

The car is a 1935 14hp DX Vauxhall and the article indicates the owner has owned a van for two years and it can only be assumed it is the same van. Unfortunately I can't read the sign just behind the boys head although I doubt if it offers any clues, it might be just 'wipe your feet".

I fell in love with the style of this van as soon as I saw it and if ever I get inspired to build a replica vintage style van this would be it. The earlier version of the 14 hp Vauxhall, the ASX, has a similar style sweeping rear end to the van, described in the sales brochure as a 'swagger aerotail', what a lovely term, and I'd nearly have to chase one up so they could match. Never hurts to dream a little.

George

G'day Griffin,

What a fantastic photo, and how good is the detail you can see in the enlargement? Very nicely done!

Can't say I've seen any references to Crusader caravans either, and I haven't been able to turn up anything on them. Hopefully now you've posted this photo something will emerge - it often does!

I'm intriqued with the concave rear of the van, and trying to work out why you would design a caravan that way. Surely you would lose a lot of internal space? Maybe it was viewed as being more streamlined? In any case I can't remember seeing another van - in Australia or elsewhere - with that particular feature.

On another note, I am almost 100% certain that the 'Mrs G J Coles' in the photo was the wife of G J Coles who established the Coles variety store chain in Victoria, that was later transformed into the Coles supermarket business we all know now as part of the Coles/Woolworths duopoly. G J Coles later became Sir George and Mrs Coles, Lady Margaret Coles.

Good to see that Mrs Coles had good taste in cars!

Don Ricardo

Hi DR

Veeery interesting, must say I hadn't made the connection with G.J. Coles, it's been a while since it was called that probably so it slipped by but I think you are probably right. She did have good taste in cars, maybe before she became accustomed to Rollers or something equally exotic.

I have returned to 'Trove' with a specific search for 'Crusader Caravan' as my previous general searching had not found a reference to them according to my file. The following advertisement popped up, appearing only twice in January 1937. I searched between 1930 and 1940 and nothing else at all came up so they may have been a short lived affair. The 'Table Talk' article indicated Mrs Coles "has owned a van for two years" but not necessarily this van I guess. Or Mr. Mackenzie, who appears to have been the builder, hadn't bothered to advertise previously. It is interesting that he offers plans and lessons in building caravans. I suppose you would be getting paid while others watched you work on a project. Wonder if I could pull that one off with one of my projects?!!

Like most of these things we will probably never know the full detail, but I still love his work.

I've updated the original post with the address.

While fiddling with this post I've found I have a better resolution copy of the photo and checking it I think the sign above the lad's head reads "Its a CRUSADER CARAVAN", makes sense, stick the name right next to the door. George

Congratulations on the results of your further research, Griffin!

It is so satisfying when you can find another bit of info about the origins of an elusive brand/make of caravan. And I agree with you that the little sign near the door definitely seems to say 'Crusader Caravan(s).

It would be good to know a bit more about Mr Mackenzie and his activities - not to mention the reasoning for the shape of the back of the caravan - wouldn't it?

In an article on the 1937 Melbourne motor show in Table Talk it mentions that there were eleven caravan manufacturers represented. They mention that the eleven included Land Cruiser, Romany Road and Wolfenden, but not Don who declined to be there (as you know from the Don adverts at the time). I imagine that Windmill might have been there too, but that still leaves seven other manufacturers. I've been trying to work out who they might have been, but I imagine they might have been some of the smaller outfits such as Crusader. I don't think that there would have been any interstaters at that stage of the game, although I think Furness may have displayed interstate from time to time in the 30's.

Don Ricardo

Hi Don R

Yes, certainly nice to join the dots after starting with the photo in this case. Only possible with the generosity of Trove's continued addition of papers.

Maybe Mr. Mackenzie just liked to be different with his styling, he did stick the door at the rear too which was not common and doesn't seem to have taken off even after all these years.

It is frustrating that the writers of the day didn't seem to want to give away free plugs in their articles as to who was doing what. The Argus newspaper covered the event with an article, with no names mentioned, on the 20-5-1937 which included three photographs, again no names mentioned. One appears to be a Sportsman Tourer so it might be safe to say they were there too. In concert with the article several manufacturers inserted advertisements of a more generous than usual nature with illustrations of their wares and their involvement in the Show. Land Cruiser occupied Stand 7, Romany Road Stand 2, Windmill Stand 5 and Care-Free Stand 3. It might be reasonable that Brewer and W.P.M. were there, they advertised frequently at the time in The Argus. Time might fill in a few more of the gaps.

George

Hi Griffin,

Ah, Care-Free and Brewer, yes. I can confirm that Brewer had a van on display, because I have a newspaper item indicating that he Brewer won the 'Queen of the Show' award. I think it was with their van that had the built-in space for a six-seater dinghy.

I'm not sure about Sportsman though, even though we know they were active pre-War. I'm pretty sure that the teardrops in the photo you referred to were the Land Cruiser caravanettes. They are shown in front of a Land Cruiser, and I think I've read somewhere that Land Cruiser had their caravanettes at the show.

In any case we've identified six of the eleven - Land Cruiser, Romany Road, Wolfenden, Windmill, Care-Free, Brewer, with WPM being an additional possibility.

Don Ricardo