A hitch in time

We all use a towbar, but how did this essential piece of kit come about? Andy Jenkinson takes a look at its history and that of the Witter brand

- Andy Jenkinson

WHEN THE FIRST car-pulled caravan emerged after the First World War, there was a seemingly simple solution to the problem of attaching the tourer to the tow vehicle: a leather loop on the caravan drawbar was just slipped over a hook at the back of the car.

It soon became clear, though, that a more technical hitch solution was required to ensure the security of the connection and, of course, the safety of everyone else on the road. This developmental process would take a number of decades.

The next step forward took place in the 1920s, when pin couplings were introduced. Bespoke towbars were constructed from angle iron before being bolted to a car chassis. Caravanners usually asked a blacksmith to fashion this addition, but even if a mechanical engineer constructed a car’s towbar, it invariably wasn’t tested! In either case, the job usually took several days and the customer was completely at the mercy of the artisan.

In fact, blacksmiths remained a link in the supply chain even as the 1930s came along. Despite the Great Depression, the middle classes were enjoying increasing levels of affluence and many aspired to caravan ownership, which until then had been the exclusive domain of the rich.

This growth in demand for caravans not only kept the blacksmiths busy, but also led to a glut of cowboy garages rushing to offer a similar service.

Unfortunately, they didn’t always fit their towbars to the strongest part of the car, and the workmanship was often poor — it wasn’t unheard of for a caravan to become detached from the tow car while in transit. One other alternative was for the competent caravanner to fit their own form of towbar.

The ball coupling