When it comes to examples of classic design, the Airstream caravan is a prime example.

The sleek, shiny aluminium creations, which date back to the 1920s and the vision of American inventor Wally Byam, are still a rarity on British roads but have a growing following including by motor engineer Richard Jones.

So when it came to creating a business on a very different concept, Mr Jones knew where to turn.

The result is a mobile bar, the Apollo 70, unlike any other, where no expense has been spared.

Having worked as a technician for major companies such as BMW and Bentley, with the past five years having been dedicated to importing British classic cars from America, Mr Jones, 42, is no stranger to motor shows.

There he has seen concession stands which he believes all look very similar.

And that led to him asking what he could do that would stand out from the crowd.

“I have worked in the United States and always been fascinated by the story of the Airstream,” he said.

But he did not just want any Airstream – he was very precise with his wishlist.

He used his American contacts to locate a suitable example in Oklahoma which, as he says, “had to be the suitable length, shape and year”.

The model is a Land Yacht and the year is 1970, the height of the Apollo space programme.

History tells us that an Airstream had been used as a quarantine unit for astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins after the first moon landings in 1969 and the design became synonymous with space travel. As a result, the name of the business, Apollo 70, was born.

Since importing his Airstream in 2012, Mr Jones, who is based in Shipton-under-Wychwood, has spent the intervening time designing and developing what he believes to be the ultimate mobile bar.

He admits the level he has gone to is “extreme.”

He has spent £150,000 on turning it into a state-of-the-art facility.

Materials include carbon fibre imported from Italy and it comes complete with mood lighting which can display a vast spectrum of colours to reflect the type of event or mood of the occasion.

The bar can be hired as a unit or fully stocked along with staff including a cocktail “mixologist,” depending on budget and requirements.

Mr Jones is building relationships with local suppliers including Witney’s Wychwood Brewery, which is one of Apollo 70’s beer suppliers.

Now the drive has begun to recoup some of Mr Jones’ investment.

The target market is festivals, weddings and corporate functions looking for something very different to provide a spectacle and talking point.

He will be taking Apollo 70 to the Paris fashion show in July where it will be used as a champagne bar and he has also taken enquiries from potential clients in Belgium and Switzerland.

Rates start from about £2,500, which obviously isn’t cheap, but Mr Jones believes he is providing something that is the best of its kind in the world.

Like Wally Byam, he has brought design and functionality together and he believes there is a ready market for his vision.

 

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