Rear view mirror
20 years ago, coachbuilts ruled
Our star feature in the August issue of 20 years ago was a comparison test of two of Swift’s latest models – a Mondial campervan and a Sundance overcab coachbuilt – I remember it well for the jobsworth attitude of hi-vis-wearing security staff on Grimsby docks, where we photographed the two ’vans (in between showing our ID and authority to be there umpteen times).
Back then, both Swifts were available for just under £25,000 brand-new (or a tad over that figure with options). We were there to decide whether a budget coachbuilt (represented by the Sundance and very much the flavour of the moment in the early Noughties) really was a better buy than a campervan (the popularity of which seemed to be waning, unlike today). In conclusion, we said that the camper was quicker and more economical (29.9mpg on test versus 26.9mpg), as well as being easier to drive. If it was to be your only vehicle, we opined, that was all you needed to know. Some things never change…
The coachbuilt, of course, wasn’t going to take this lying down and fought back with more space for living and superior compatibility with all-year use. In the end, though, it was the odd layout of the (short-lived, no surprise there) Mondial MV that swung victory for its big brother Sundance 520, a thoroughly conventional coachbuilt motorhome.
Campervans might have been a much smaller part of the market in 2001 but Volkswagens were still in strong demand and the T4 (the first frontengined, front-wheel drive model) was still the Transporter of the moment. The VW-based AVA Leisure Alexandria wasn’t only the subject of a full road test but also a road trip to Belgium and Germany. It looked the business with its Projectzwo bodykit and 17in Oettinger alloy wheels but, even inside, this wasn’t your average VW camper.
Trimmed in blue and grey Alcantara, AVA’s longwheelbase high-top model had a front lounge incorporating the swivel cab seats, a rear L-shaped kitchen and a corner toilet room. We described this unusual campervan as stylish and well-finished, adding that “the options on this test vehicle push up the price, but then style has never been cheap”. Twenty years ago, this camper with all the toys cost almost £40k (more than the fixed bed, luxury Laika low-profile in the same issue) but, perhaps, it has proven the value of a top-quality Volkswagen camper all the same. A quick look on the official MoT history website shows that this very ’van is still on the road, having covered almost 84k miles at its last inspection.
All of these vehicles were diesel-powered, a fact that annoyed a reader from Motherwell. James preferred petrol and argued that the premium paid for turbo-diesel options could never be recouped in fuel savings. I don’t think he’d have been impressed by today’s move towards electric vehicles…