Caravan and motorhome manufacturer, Knaus, is celebrating 60 years in business as well as the hundredth birthday of company’s founder, Helmut Knaus.

Helmut Knaus was an engineer and inventor who was influential in shaping the leisure vehicle industry in Europe.

In 1960, together with his sons, Helmut and Albert, he founded Knaus in the town of Marktbreit, which is located near the city of Würzburg, Germany.

During the peak of Germany’s post-war economic boom, an increasing number of Germans had the financial means to purchase a vehicle. Going on a holiday in one's own car became a reality for many Germans – with a majority of them driving a VW Beetle.

Even during the years of World War II, Helmut Knaus had the idea to construct a caravan for the new Volkswagen. It has to be compact, comfortable and lightweight. And round like a swallows’ nest, which was the name it was given – the Knaus Schwalbennest.

Today, Knuas is one of the industry’s most successful brands and has been building both caravans as well as innovative motorhomes for over 30 years.

In 1988, Knaus started working with Tabbert, which led to the founding of the Knaus Tabbert Group GmbH in 2002. In 2008, the company filed for bankruptcy. However, with strong financial backing, the company restarted its operations in 2009 and since then it has been one of the mainstays of European – and British – motorhoming and caravanning.