When the Wealthy travel…
In the 1930s, William Woods Plankinton Jr. was known in the United States as a very wealthy businessman and also had a reputation as a playboy. The extent of his wealth was evident in the fact that, at the age of 21, he managed the $10,000,000 inheritance he had received from his father in the form of a trust fund, which also provided for his living expenses.
In the first half of the 1930s, the young man began to dream of a luxurious motorhome befitting a millionaire. He promptly turned to industrial designer Brooke Stevens for his dream model. Stevens designed a rounded tractor unit to which a single-axle trailer was attached, housing the mobile living space. The designer focused on the interior of the motorhome, which primarily combined a living area, bathroom, and bedroom, but also had enough space for an office compartment.
The millionaire loved his motorhome, using it extensively over a period of nearly 20 years. He was well aware that he drew everyone’s attention at every stop. It was said that very wealthy like-minded individuals were inspired by the motorhome and subsequently purchased their own, though none achieved the fame of his “Zephyr Land Yacht”—the origin of this name, however, has been lost to history.
