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60 years of the KNAUS brand & 100 years of Helmut Knaus

We say thank you for your loyalty!

The big KNAUS anniversary – 60 years of holiday happiness! For the 100th birthday of Helmut Knaus & 60th brand anniversary we would like to say thank you. Your trust has made us one of the most successful brands & constantly drives us to develop innovative products for your holiday happiness.

60 YEARS der Marke KNAUS - 1960 war das "Schwalbennest" geboren

A man and his vision …

This is how it all started! Helmut Knaus had a vision: Holiday was great – but even more beautiful for him was the freedom to be at home anytime and anywhere. In 1960, he turned his vision into reality with the first KNAUS caravan ever. The „Schwalbennest“ was born!

… became one of the strongest brands in Europe!

A sensational success story began with the „Schwalbennest“.  Always in the middle: Helmut Knaus and his revolutionary ideas. They had the innovative power that is still effective in the KNAUS brand today. 60 years have passed since then. Today, KNAUS is one of the most successful manufacturers of leisure vehicles throughout Europe – just as Helmut Knaus would have wished.

How it all started

Once upon a time there was an architect named Helmut Knaus. Born in 1920, he spent his youth in war – and like many other Germans, he dreamed of peace and freedom. With the end of the war, Knaus’ years of privation finally came to an end. Optimism was spreading. Wanderlust arose, and the Germans’ desire to travel grew with the economy. This was the perfect time for Helmut Knaus to make his dream of unlimited freedom come true.

As a symbol of his idea of freedom, he drew the two swallows that would soon adorn the first real KNAUS. Shortly afterwards, the studied architect presented the first caravan of Knaus KG, founded in 1960, in Marktbreit in Lower Franconia: The „Schwalbennest“ went down in the history of caravanning. Even today the small, round caravan still has numerous fans.

Vor 60 Jahren - Wie bei KNAUS alles begann
1962 kam der Südwind auf den Markt - KNAUS 60 YEARS

The cornerstone of success: The KNAUS SÜDWIND

At the beginning of the 1960s, the legendary „Schwalbennest“ came onto the market and only one year later in 1962, the SÜDWIND, our absolute long‐running favourite. The caravanning icon has now been on the market without interruption for 58 years. Thereby the SÜDWIND sets new standards generation after generation – and inspires with a contemporary equipment and a versatile range of layouts.

For every customer wish it should be the right caravan, affordable, variable and of high quality. The dream of freedom and travelling on four wheels, the SÜDWIND could make it come true. This was exactly what Helmut Knaus had wished for – and what made the holiday hearts of Germans in the sixties beat faster.

KNAUS today: Innovation, tradition and passion

The innovative spirit of Helmut Knaus can still be felt in all areas of the company today. 60 years after its foundation, KNAUS has become a brand that stands for highest quality, modern design and lots of good ideas like no other in the caravaning industry. Whether our versatile camper vans, the VAN TI PLUS with four‐wheel drive or the DESEO with ultra‐light frame technology: each of our current models transports the values and goals of Helmut Knaus into a contemporary present.

At our company, state‐of‐the‐art and tradition come together. Passion and craftsmanship. And for 60 years one thought has united us: Freedom that moves!

KNAUS heute nach 60 Jahren Erfahrung
60 Jahre Marke KNAUS & 100 Jahre Helmut Knaus

How we became who we are

From the past directly into the future. The KNAUS „Schwalbennest“ made holiday dreams come true more than 60 years ago. Up to now, KNAUS has become one of the most successful brands in the industry and has also been represented in the motorhome sector for more than 30 years.

In the course of time

60 years of KNAUS - 60 years of progress

Standstill has always been a foreign word for us. That is why we have been working on progress for 60 years. Our pioneering spirit and our wealth of ideas is particularly evident in our vehicles. We consistently develop them further, so that with each generation they come a little bit closer to our dream of freedom.

Der KNAUS SÜDWIND damals

The KNAUS SÜDWIND back then ...

An icon right from the start: The SÜDWIND was one of the best selling and most popular caravans in Germany from the very first model. The secret of its success …

… the KNAUS SÜDWIND today.

... lies in its flexibility - and its timeless quality. Whether families, couples or single travellers: For generations the SÜDWIND has been the mobile home for true camping fans.

Der KNAUS LINER damals - Modernes Exterieur und optische Dynamik

The KNAUS LINER back then …

Even at its premiere, the KNAUS LINER was far ahead of its time. The modern exterior was a real eye‐catcher and optically focused on dynamics.

… the L!VE I today.

The L!VE I is our latest fully integrated motorhome – and the face of a new class of KNAUS motorhomes. Modern design meets the latest technology!

kta-knaus-2021-2022-markenwelt-60years-billboard-kompetenz

Competence from experience

With all our experience and the courage to break new ground, we combine the familiar with the new. We rely on Lower Bavarian craftsmanship in production and on the most modern design and manufacturing techniques in the development of new vehicles.