WORDS: RICHARD COPPINGMeet a Viking without horns and you’d be bamboozled. See a Viking
Camper without its familiar overhanging elevating roof and face the
same dilemma.
Viking Campers
Brochure Line
Origin
alVW (^) sa
les
literat
ure
otorhomes, later
rebranded in typical
expansive style
as Motorhomes
International, launched their
Delivery Van based Viking
conversion in 1970. The familiar
‘overhanging’ ‘Spacemaker’ roof
didn’t follow until 1974. Indeed,
earlier Vikings only came with an
elevating roof if an owner coughed
up the extra cash such an expensive
‘accessory’ commanded.
This issue’s brochure, which
dates from 1972 and is of a healthy
300mm x 210mm eight page
duration, illustrates two very
different stories. First and on the
positive side, the Viking conversion
is no shadowy copy of the offerings
of the big boys, but instead it
presents a dynamic design with its
own unique selling points. Second
though, Motorhomes could never
be described as shy and retiring.
M
84 BROCHURE LINEwww.volkswagencamper.co.uk
The photographer employed did
them proud, finding the very best
light in which to parade the Viking
conversion. Even more boastful
though is Motorhomes’ text (and
in case you are wondering, the
words here are not a one-off error
of judgement). So openly big-headed
is virtually every paragraph that it’s
surprising that those same big boys
didn’t round up the comparative
pipsqueak and grind him into well-
deserved oblivion!
Let’s head back to the pictures
for the moment. While the ‘dining
car and lounge’ imagery suggests
a spaciousness no VW Camper
could really offer and the so-called
‘Boudoir’ composition is so carefully
posed that all but a hint of the bed
is invisible, it is when you turn to
what is referred to as the ‘Galley’
1: Eye-catching
... Viking were
not shy when
proclaiming their
virtues over others
2: Dining Car and
Lounge ...
The Viking conversion is no shadowy copy of the
big selling rivals; instead it presents a dynamic
design with its own unique selling points
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