THE TALE OF A KOMET

Fiona lives with daughter Alice and partner Cal in the beautiful Eden Valley, near Penrith in Cumbria, a quiet, unspoilt area often overlooked on the regular tourist routes.

- 

We met at a dealership, where I was undertaking some caravan reviews. Fiona told me that she owned a small tourer, a Silverline Nova, from 1987, which I visited her to see.

A few months later, she got in touch to tell me she was now looking for a campervan, likely to be a classic model. Weeks passed, then I had a message from her that she'd found a VW-based Autohomes Komet from 1989.

It was a high-top, providing standing room inside, and a bed for Alice. It also came with a 1.9-litre petrol engine and a five-speed gearbox.

Fiona told me it was in rather nice condition and that she had travelled to Wales to buy it. Now, armed with my camera and notebook, I was keen to investigate this classic.

When I arrived, I found that Fiona had laid on a lovely lunch, and while we ate our meal, she explained what she loves about this superb camper.

Rich heritage

Autohomes UK ceased trading around 1992, when Elddis bought the name and produced coachbuilt Autohomes models for several years.

But the name has a rich heritage, having been part of Bluebird Caravans, and then in 1963, the Ci Group.