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Description :
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Most early camp cars were custom made by the owner or to the owner’s specifications. There were, however, a few firms that advertised production camp cars that were mounted on an automobile chassis. Understandably, the most popular chassis was the economical Ford Model T. One of the premier commercially made camp cars was the Lamsteed Kampcar, designed by Samuel Lambert of St. Louis, Missouri. Lambert is best known because of his namesake, the Lambert Pharmaceutical Company, which manufactured, among other things, Listerine Mouthwash. Lambert was an avid outdoorsman and saw a need for a camp car that was available to the general public at an affordable price. His creation sold for $535, and the advertising claimed that it could be attached to the Model T frame in six hours. Amenities included seating for six, sleeping for four, a folding table, a 2-burner stove, an 8-gallon water tank, and ample storage lockers. A complete camping set with camping supplies and eating utensils was also included.
When it came time to put his camp car into full production, Lambert, apparently needing to attend to other duties, turned his creation over to another company based in St. Louis, the Anheuser Busch Company, whose beer-producing operation had been curtailed by Prohibition. During those dry years, Anheuser Busch had turned to manufacturing vehicles, including wagons, truck bodies, and now the Lamsteed Kampcar. Records are a bit sketchy, but the Kampcar was most likely produced from 1915 to 1933, with units manufactured by Anheuser Busch from 1921 to 1931. Its long run is at least partially due to its advertising literature, which celebrated the romance of the road and the virtues of the outdoor lifestyle: “Make this the kind of a vacation you’ve always dreamed about—enjoy the splendor of Yellowstone, the majesty of the Grand Canyon, visit balmy Palm Beach or the great North Woods. Go anywhere you wish—on your own schedule, over your own railroad system in your own private car, stopping at your own hotel, eating your own cooking at your own table—all in great comfort and at a price you can easily afford.”
Only two intact Lamsteed Kampcars are known to exist. This one, mounted on a 1921 Ford Model T, was photographed at the National Automobile Museum (the Harrah Collection), Reno, Nevada.
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