What are the odds of finding 2 for sale in the So Cal area. As far as I could tell from my research only 70 were ever made between 1964 to 1967. One somewhat famous Travel Car, The Silver Bullet owned by
David Janssen has been recently rediscovered. Only a few of the Vista View models (rear porch) were ever made. The others had the standard enclosed rear end cap.
The manufacturer of The Travel Car "Streamline Trailer Co" began life as a trailer manufacturing company founded in 1957. The owner James Patterson bought out his 2 partners at Silver Streak Trailer Company to be able to start it.
It definitely has that Airstream look and I was able to trace it's lineage all the way back to the Airstream founder Wally Byam.
Airstream was founded in 1931 by Byam and first produced the famous "Clipper" travel trailer in 1936. Airstream closed it's doors when the war started due to lack of raw materials. Byam was then hired by Curtis Wright Manufacturing (not to be confused with Curtiss-Wright Aircraft Co) during the war and they worked together until 1948.
In 1947 Curtis Wright (with help from Byam) resumed production on the Clipper travel trailer. Byam left Curtis Wright in 1948 to reform the Airstream Co. In 1949 three partners (including James Patterson) bought Curtis Wright trailer manufacturing and renamed the company "Silver Streak"
Silver Streak continued on to build travel trailers until the demise of the company in 1986. It is rumored that the owners went on to build a limited number of custom built TT's until 1997.
The Travel car did not die in 1967. The motorhome division of Silver Streak was purchased by L.K. Newell. He kept the name Streamline Travel Car for the first year of production and later changed it to his own name. According to Newell Coach's web site, the beach boys owned one of the first models produced by Newell in 1967.
L.K. Newel was an innovator of coach building in the 60's and 70's. He built the first rear engine motorhome in 1969 and the first diesel power coach in 1970. The company was sold in 1979 and renamed "Newell Coach Corporation", and is still in business today producing some of the nicest top end coaches on the market.
Ref;
Frequently Asked Questions
Wally Byam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Silver Palaces - Google Books
Newell Coach Adds Fresh Look to 2011 Model | RV Business
Newell Coach Luxury Motorhomes
References I believe to be incorrect;
silver_streak [Tin Can Tourists Wiki]