1940s Airstream s/n 3000s History/Name?

[crzycpa]

Was there a 1940s Airstream 4000s serial number series and if so does anyone know the name and/or history?
Also the 1949 21' Airstream at Shady Dell Trailer Park Arizona isn't a Liner but they don't mention the name. It is very similar in style to my 1949 Trailwind but larger.

From vintageairstream I know the following s/n models were used during the 1940s:
1xxx Liner
2xxx Limited/Cruiser
30xx Wee Wind (fewer than 100)
50xx Trailwind (fewer than 100)
80xx Whirlwind (appears to just be a handful)

Any help would be appreciated.

[crzycpa]

On the community forum 66Overlander answered the 4000 serial number series question:


Quote:
Originally Posted by crzycpa
BTW Joe, given your knowledge of early Airstreams was there a 4000 serial number series for early Airstreams? The Shady Dell Trailer Park in Arizona indicates they have a 21' 1949 Airstream which appears to be a dead ringer for my 1949 Trailwind although longer, but it does not have the look of a Liner. According to Vintageairstream serial number series appear to be accounted for from 1000-8000 with the exception of the 4000s.

Thanks again for your input.

I will admit to having learned about Early Airstream serial numbers from the work of other, including the prior VAC Historian Fred Coldwell as well as vintageairstream.com. I still do not understand these details completely. As far as I know, the 4000 serial number range was not used in the late 40's-early 50's, but I do not know why. That range was eventually used in 1953-56 (with a preceeding "O") for Ohio built 25'/25' Cruisers and 1957-58 (without the preceeding "O") for California built 18-footers.
__________________
Joe
Vintage Airstream Club Historian
WBCCI/VAC #5533
'55 22' Safari / '63 28' Ambassador / '94 28' Excella

[66Overlander]

Update. I have discovered at least two SN 40XX Airstreams still exist. Both are 22' Liners, SN 4003 & SN 4011. I believe that 4003 is most likely a 1948 and 4011 most likely a 1949, but I have no idea what differentiated the 40XX 22' Liners from the normal 10XX to 14XX 22' Liners.

[66Overlander]

My latest guess on late 1940s/early 1950s 4000 series Airstream serial numbers is that these were possibly compete "custom" 22-footers.

I only know of three currently still existing, SN 4003 (a claimed 1949), 4011 (claimed 1949?), and 4071 (a claimed 1950). I can believe that Airstream likely built each SN continuously from 4000 or 4001 thru at least 4011, but I believe they did not built continuously thru 4071. That one must really be a custom.

4003 definitely has a custom interior floorplan not matching floorplans published by Airstream in the 1948-49 timeframe.

I cannot currently find photos of 4011.

4071 was recently auctioned off in France and definitely has some custom touches that I believe are original, but I think it has also been restro-mod'd a bit making it a bit hard to diagnose the originality of every unusual feature, including the opening end windows (maybe original, maybe not).