being only semi-computer literate I inadvertantly included the following under an earlier entry of mine regarding rock guards....it is probably more appropriate here. Living in North Idaho my opportunity to see other trailers is limited but I recently got a look at my first Streamline trailer. It looked so much like a Silver Streak I thought there had to be a connection of some kind. So I called Bob Ashby in Texas my swami re: all things Silver Streak. He confirmed that a couple of people who had been employed by SS in Ca. broke away and began manufacturing the Stream line brand. This was in 1968 or so and the Streamlines were built until approx.1974. According to Bob the frames are identical and the only major differences were that the Streamline did not have the wraparound front corner windows and the cabinets in the Streamline were made primarily of metal. Both the SS and the Streamline were designed and manufactured for the same market nitch and cost the same.

By Doug Reynolds on Tuesday, March 28, 2000 - 07:07 pm:

This is the history as I understand it, as told to me by the long-time owner of an Airstream dealership. I never had any reason to doubt the validity. Originally there was Airstream started by 3 partners. They eventually broke up, and formed their own companies, one went on to form Silver Streak, one went on to start Streamline, and Wally continued to build his baby, the Airstream. If this story is in error I would welcome somebody to refute it, as I tell it to everyone!

By Phil Kaufman on Sunday, December 17, 2000 - 10:34 pm:

Hello Carl and Doug..I too am interested in the history of Streamline/Silver Streak..Streamline was founded before '68m as I have a 1957 28'Empress..and yes the interior is mostly metal ie"cabinets.any updates would be appreciated..
thanks. Phil

By Tom Patterson on Friday, December 22, 2000 - 06:28 am:

From what I hear, there does not appear to be a direct connection between Airstream and Silver Streak. I asked Bob Ashby about this possibility, and he said "absolutely not". Bob said that he had seen pictures of the first Silver Streak, and it was built independently of Airstream. The first trailer had a kind of pointed nose to it.
Aside from that, it does appear that the Silver Streak people were already operating when the Curtis Wright business became available, and that they bought that business. This would probably be after Wally Byam had parted ways with Curtis Wright.
Apparently also, it was employees of Silver Streak who went out on their own and founded the Streamline Company.

By Tom Patterson on Wednesday, August 28, 2002 - 05:09 am:

Actually, from information I have found later, three men by the names of Frank Pollito, Kenny Neptune and Pat Patterson acquired the old Curtis Wright trailer business in 1949 and started making trailers under the Silver Streak name. Elsewhere on the site, I have copies of ads for both '49 Curtis Wrights and '49 Silver Streaks. They are identical!

At some later date, Pollito and Neptune bought out Patterson, and he went into business producing the Streamline trailers.

By Chuck Boutilier on Sunday, June 26, 2005 - 01:10 pm:

Any rrelation to our Tom Patterson???