Okay, so here it is in a nutshell...
Airstreams in the 50's...for the most part, were named based on their length & interior layouts. A 16' trailer was a Bubble or
Caravel, a 22' trailer could be a Safari, Flying Cloud, Caravanner, etc. a 26' trailer was an Overlander or a Cruiser and 30' were Liners or
Sovereign of the Road. Also, things were not real standardized - you could get a lot of "one off" builds.
In the 60's...the names still indicated the length - much like in the 50's except, things started to get more standardized. There were two different factories, so there were still slight differences between the models - but they tended to be a bit more consistent. They also introduced levels of finish within the models and more lengths. There could be a "Land Yacht" package which was the basic model or the "International" model which had more features like different wood, upholstery, padded fabric walls at the beds, etc. things that would make them more comfortable for longer trips or on caravans to foreign lands.
In the 70's this pretty much remained the trend...more standardization and features. They also added the Excella line which was another level of finish much like the CCD vs International vs Flying Cloud's of today. The thing that's different about the 70's is one year trailers would be "odd numbered" lengths, and another year they would be "even numbered" lengths...oftentimes the shell didn't change, they just changed what they called it - I suspect for marketing purposes.
Another thing that constantly comes up is a faulty document that roamed around in the Airstream archives for years, which mistakenly indicated a "0" (zero) as an "O" (letter). It stated the "O" stands for Overlander when in actuality it is intended as a "0" (zero) which is just a placeholder when the "Land Yacht" level of finish is present. "I" was used for "International" finishes.
One of the best places for information online to help you compare the differences of the vintage rigs can be found in the
Photo Archives...
Fast forward 25-30 years...the confusion really sets in, Airstream started recycling the old names. The same names which used to be used to determine length, now mean a level of finish. And a Land Yacht could be a fiberglass motorhome...
If you want to confirm your model/year/finish package and sometimes layout - post your VIN number and someone will help you decipher it or look it up in the Photo Archives link...
Shari