Airstream Europe

The Board of Directors of Thor Industries, Inc. (NYSE:THO) announced today that its co-founder, chairman, president and CEO, Wade F. B. Thompson, died yesterday after a 14 year battle with five cancers. Mr. Thompson was 69 years old.

Mr. Thompson founded Thor in 1980 with Peter B. Orthwein, Thor vice-chairman, with the acquisition of Airstream, the renowned travel trailer builder. Thompson turned Airstream around from a $12 million annual loss immediately prior to purchase to a $1 million profit in its first year. Thor went public on January 11, 1984 and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange on August 29, 1986, six years to the day after its founding.

Wade Thompson always said that his major business legacy was not only helping build Thor into the leading manufacturer of recreation vehicles and buses, but Thor's record of never losing money which is believed to be unique in these two industries. Even during fiscal 2009, a year of world-wide recession and a depression in the RV industry, Thor made money.

Wade Thompson devoted his last decade to helping find a cure for cancer. He founded the Drive Against Prostate Cancer in 2000. The Drive, consisting of two Airstream mobile medical vehicles, has given over 101,000 free prostate cancer screenings to men, particularly the under-served and veterans. About 5% of the men have an abnormality and The Drive has saved about 5,000 lives due to early detection. He was a major contributor to Zero-The Project to End Prostate Cancer, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Cancer Research Institute, and actively financed clinical trials for melanoma and colon cancer in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

Wade Thompson was also deeply dedicated to the arts, historic preservation and conservation. He was the founder and chairman of the Seventh Regiment Armory Conservancy whose mission is to restore and revitalize the historic Park Avenue Armory at 66th Street in Manhattan into a world class venue for the performing and visual arts. The Armory's 60,000 sq. ft., seven story high Drill Hall is named in his honor. He was a major supporter of Central Park Conservancy, the Municipal Art Society, and Mystic Seaport Museum. His other interests were tennis and collecting contemporary art.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 42 years, Angela, his children, Charles A. Y. Thompson and Amanda Jane Thompson Riegel, his daughter-in-law, Olya A.Y. Thompson, son-in-law Richard E. Riegel III, and six grandchildren.

Stephen Miller picks up Wade's story in the Wall Street journal.

Exciting cooperation between three iconic brands will steal hearts during Salone del Mobile.

Airstream Inc. and MINI have teamed up to offer the best in both design and functionality with a one-off MINI Cooper S Clubman and Airstream creation designed by Republic of Fritz Hansen. The concept will be presented for the first time at the INTERNI DESIGN ENERGIES exhibition in the courtyards of Università degli Studi di Milano during the upcoming world-renowned Salone del Mobile show in Milan. The exhibition will be open each day from Tuesday 21 to Thursday 30 April from 10:00 a.m. until midnight.

Republic of Fritz Hansen, the Copenhagen based premium furniture brand known for its minimalist and functional design, has spared no details when it came to designing the interior of the MINI Cooper S Clubman and Airstream trailer. Drawing inspiration from the outdoor lifestyle of surfing, the Airstream interior will feature, amongst others, new interpretations of Arne Jacobsen's Egg™ and Swan™ Chair and a table set up with four unique Series Seven™ chairs, allowing plenty of room for guests. Sleek wood panelling will top it off giving it the ultimate "modern surfer" look. "Here at Republic of Fritz Hansen we are thrilled with the collaboration and really look forward to introducing this unique and eye catching concept," says Jacob Holm, President and CEO at Republic of Fritz Hansen.

The MINI Cooper S Clubman will also reflect the same adventurous personality and style with clean lines, bold colours such as lightning green and all the interior gadgets you can expect to find in a MINI plus more.

The MINI Cooper S Clubman will be predominately jet black with black "wetsuit" neoprene accents along with green trim. The 22ft silver Airstream trailer will also enjoy the same exterior details as the MINI but will have an interior designed for beach goers with features such as a waterproof interior and a sun bathing bed.

"Partnering with MINI was a given," said Bob Wheeler, CEO of Airstream, Inc. "As one of the oldest manufacturers of recreational vehicles in the U.S. and MINI's longstanding history producing unmistakable sport cars, we knew that we would make a dynamite team," said Wheeler.

"It has always been important for us to implement new products and ideas in unconventional ways. The concept MINI and Airstream, designed by Republic of Fritz Hansen, presents a surprisingly different way of using a MINI and an Airstream with a design, which consciously transcends into the world of the surfer. At the same time, we have achieved a successful co-operation with two international cult brands which authentically embodies the MINI attitude to life" said, Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, Head of MINI Brand Communication.  Find out more at minispace.

The results of the fourteenth Caravan Club Caravan Design Awards were announced at the NEC, Birmingham, United Kingdom on Friday 20th February 2009. And for the second year in succession the Airstream International 684 has been named 'Best Caravan' again by The Caravan Club.

Forty two vehicles were submitted for the awards which aim to provide Club members, and caravanners in general, with fair and objective assessments of the vehicles submitted for scrutiny. All manufacturers are invited to submit entries.

The panel of independent Judges and Technical Researchers from the Caravan Design Awards follow rigorous scoring checklists and assess everything from sitting comfort, standing headroom, kitchen design, storage, switches, wiring, security, repair and warranty arrangements and general safety.

Airstream's category - 'Any Caravan Over £18,000', is regarded as THE category to win and featured entries from all of the major (and minor) manufacturers who enter the vehicle they consider to be their best.

Grenville Chamberlain, Chairman of The Caravan Club, who announced the results commented, "The Club would like to thank the manufacturing industry for wholeheartedly supporting these awards. We offer our warm congratulations to the winners and hope their success in these competitions translates to booming sales of their products in the future."

Michael Hold, who accepted the award on behalf of Airstream said, "It is a great honour to win this prestigious award for the second year in succession. It is the highest accolade any manufacturer can receive in the UK caravan industry and firmly cements Airstreams' place as the most luxurious travel trailer available."

The Caravan Club represents the interests of one million caravanners, motor caravanners and trailer tenters and offers an unrivalled network of quality sites in the UK with a choice of around 3,000 locations.