In 1956, Wally Byam collaborated with his wife Stella on a special trailer design that became known as “Stella’s Dream Trailer.” When it rolled off the line in early 1957 at the factory in Jackson Center, Ohio, it wasn’t just another Airstream — it was clad in striking gold anodized aluminum. That trailer, now preserved at the factory, became famously known as “Stella’s Gold Airstream,” and for decades it was believed to be the only gold Airstream ever built.
That assumption changed in the summer of 2017.
A call came in about a 24-foot Airstream with a gold anodized panel running the length of the exterior. At first, it sounded unlikely. But the serial number told a different story. Old forum posts revealed that the trailer — a 1962 tandem-axle model with unusual features including jalousie windows and a gold metal-flake bathtub — had puzzled owners for years. No sales literature mentioned such a model, and even longtime enthusiasts had never seen another like it.
Digging deeper uncovered an intriguing connection. Historical membership records linked the trailer’s early use to Art Costello, who served as president of Airstream in the early 1960s and led a 1962 caravan through Eastern Mexico. The build date — October 1961 — aligns closely with that caravan. While ownership can’t be definitively proven, the timeline strongly suggests the trailer may have been used by company leadership.
When Airstream’s corporate archivist reviewed factory records, the serial number was listed as “Special-Art.” Board meeting minutes from 1961 referenced experimentation with anodized “Easter Egg” trailers and plans for something called a “Golden Caravan” — described as a limited-production Airstream built with no expense spared and distinctive exterior identification. The gold panel and upscale details, including the glittering bathtub, align closely with those notes.
All signs point to this trailer being a prototype — possibly an early example of the elusive Golden Caravan concept.
After sitting unmoved for nearly a decade in an overgrown Modesto, California yard, the trailer was carefully recovered and brought back home. Though weathered and tired, it carried an undeniable presence. What initially looked like an oddball turned out to be a rare and potentially significant piece of Airstream history.
The “forgotten gold” Airstream has undergone a careful restoration by Paul Lacitinola and a dedicated group of friends, with support from experienced craftsmen who recognize the importance of preserving what may be a one-of-a-kind example. It is now a part of the Gulley Museum Collection.
From Stella’s Gold Airstream to this rediscovered golden prototype, the story adds a fascinating chapter to the legacy of innovation and experimentation that defined Airstream’s golden era.
