The Cortez from Clark
In 1963, an unusual manufacturer built and sold motorhomes—Clark, the forklift company. Clark produced the all-American Cortez, which became the first front-wheel-drive motorhome in the United States. With a different chassis, the vehicle was compact, efficient, and advanced, revolutionizing travel and life on the road.
The RV had an all-steel body, many large windows, and sleeping capacity for six—all of which were unheard-of traits at the time. The Cortez was marketed not just as an RV, but as a mobile office and sales room, ambulance, and fire truck as well. The Air Force even picked it up for shuttles, along with NASA, who used it for its Apollo 7 through 11 astronauts. (An original Cortez is still on display at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.)…