This is a 1956 Spartan Executive Mansion Travel Trailer, the top of the line model from Spartan at the time – a company that made some of the most luxurious travel trailers in the country.
Coming in at 47 feet long, this “park model” travel trailer is better fitted out than many houses, with a lounge area, a bathroom, a fitted-out kitchen, two bedrooms, residential-style power outlets, and panoramic front windows.
This is a 1956 Spartan Executive Mansion Travel Trailer, the top of the line model from Spartan at the time – a company that made some of the most luxurious travel trailers in the country.
Spartan: From Aircraft To Travel Trailers
In 1928 oil magnate William G. Skelly took over the struggling Mid-Continent Aircraft Manufacturing Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma and renamed it the Spartan Aircraft Company. Skelly had a deep fascination for the burgeoning world of aviation and automobiles and after making his fortune in the oil business, he was free to pursue any interest that took his fancy.
The Spartan Aircraft Company produced a variety of both civilian and military aircraft, they also had their own flight academy – the Spartan School of Aeronautics. Spartan made a name for themselves with the C2 series of monoplanes which was later developed into the C4, and finally into the luxurious Spartan Executive.
The Spartan Executive was a personal aircraft designed for business executives and tycoons, it offered all the same luxuries as a high-end automobile, and was capable of 200 mph. In many respects, the Spartan Executive was an early precursor to the private jet.
In 1935 J. Paul Getty purchased a controlling interest in the company from Skelly, he directed the opening of two new campuses of the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Miami, Muskogee and Ponca City, Oklahoma.
During WWII, Spartan trained countless American pilots, aircrews, and aircraft mechanics. They also produced aircraft for the war effort. After the war, with the sudden drop in demand for new aircraft they began manufacturing luxury travel trailers using the same design principles as their aircraft with all-aluminum, semi-monocoque designs.
The Spartan Aircraft Company and the Spartan School of Aeronautics both played a key role for the United States during WWII. The former built aircraft for the war effort, and the latter trained pilots, aircrews, and aircraft mechanics. Image courtesy of the Spartan Aircraft Company.
The 1950s were a time of explosive growth in the travel trailer world, as Americans put their newly minted disposable income to good use. Cross-country vacations in trailers and motorhomes became almost a rite of passage, and companies like Airstream and Spartan were well-positioned to take advantage of the trend.
Spartan travel trailers were more luxurious, and more costly, than their rivals. They were sometimes referred to as the “Cadillac” of trailers. Ultimately Spartan would survive into the 1960s but not much further, closing down in 1961 after having built and sold over 40,000 trailers.
The art deco stying, high-end luxuries, and the fascinating history of Spartan makes the company’s surviving travel trailers highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts.
1956 Spartan Executive Mansion Travel Trailer
This is a 1956 Spartan Executive Mansion Travel Trailer, and as the name implies, it really is a bit of a mansion on wheels. At 47 feet long, it’s bigger than most travel trailers, and while this tandem axle model is able to be transported around behind a towing rig, it’s intended to be used on a more permanent basis in a single location – like on a film production lot for example.
The trailer is currently being sold in unfurnished condition, meaning the buyer will be able to fit it out to suit their own tastes. It does come with a fitted-out kitchen that includes a Dixie propane oven and four-burner cooktop, an exhaust vent, a double-basin sink, drawers, overhead cabinets, under-counter storage, and laminate countertops. It also comes with a matching General Electric refrigerator which is currently not fitted or functional, but which could be restored.
This Spartan Executive Mansion comes with a fitted-out kitchen that includes a Dixie propane oven and four-burner cooktop, an exhaust vent, a double-basin sink, drawers, overhead cabinets, under-counter storage, and laminate countertops.
The interior has wood paneling on the walls and ceiling, with wood floors throughout as well as a lounge area has panoramic front windows, awning-style side windows, a ceiling vent, overhead light fixtures, and residential-style power outlets.
It’s now being offered for sale on Bring a Trailer out of Rapid City, Michigan with a clean Michigan title listing it as a 1955 model. If you’d like to read more or place a bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
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