Autohome - The History the first roof top tents in the world

THE HISTORY

THE FIRST ROOF TOP TENTS IN THE WORLD, DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MASS PRODUCED.
SINCE 1958, TRUE ORIGINALS.

For everyone, not only for those who turned travel and outdoor life into a passion, “Maggiolina” and “Air-Camping” are an historical synonym for roof tents. An original Italian invention from 1958 the Autohome vehicle roof tent has been the companion of adventurers, explorers and travellers around the world for well over sixty years. The extraordinary intuition of that time, based on the newly born mass car-tourism market, identified a sense of freedom and independence and offered the greatest possible luxury as the basis of its well deserved success in the world market.

Roof Top Tents Autohome - The History

HERE IS THE “AUTOCAMPEGGIO STOGL”

Crowded hotels?
Sold out rooms?
Do you want to save money?

As shown in the picture, it is installed as a simple roofrack on the roof of any vehicle.

Maneuver: by inserting a simple handle in the appropriate hole and turning in the indicated direction, a bedroom for one or two people opens in 20 seconds (world record)

Sleeping, ok. But how? And where?
An idea came forth: “… why not attach the tent on the roof of the car…”?
The following question was a natural response: yes, but how?

In mechanics there are countless solutions. It was just a case of understanding which one to adopt.
Between the end of 1957 and March 1959 there had been two innovative interpretations of the same idea: vertical lifting tent and the lateral hinged folding tent.

THE HISTORY

THE FIRST ROOF TOP TENTS IN THE WORLD, DESIGNED, PATENTED AND MASS PRODUCED.
SINCE 1958, TRUE ORIGINALS.

For everyone, not only for those who turned travel and outdoor life into a passion, “Maggiolina” and “Air-Camping” are an historical synonym for roof tents. An original Italian invention from 1958 (see historical information) the Autohome vehicle roof tent has been the companion of adventurers, explorers and travellers around the world for well over sixty years. The extraordinary intuition of that time, based on the newly born mass car-tourism market, identified a sense of freedom and independence and offered the greatest possible luxury as the basis of its well deserved success in the world market.

Roof Top Tents Autohome - The History

HERE IS THE “AUTOCAMPEGGIO STOGL”

Crowded hotels?
Sold out rooms?
Do you want to save money?

As shown in the picture, it is installed as a simple roofrack on the roof of any vehicle.

Manoeuvre: by inserting a simple handle in the appropriate hole and turning in the indicated direction, a bedroom for one or two people opens in 20 seconds (world record)

Sleeping, ok. But how? And where?
An idea came forth: “… why not attach the tent on the roof of the car…”?
The following question was a natural response: yes, but how?

In mechanics there are countless solutions. It was just a case of understanding which one to adopt.
Between the end of 1957 and March 1959 there had been two innovative interpretations of the same idea: vertical lifting tent and the lateral hinged folding tent.

Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents history
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents history
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - Vintage photo
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents history
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents history

The two tents were created at about the same time. the first one – even if just for a while – was the ancestor of the current “Maggiolina” (called “Au-tocampeggio Stogl” in its first version, from the name of its creator); patented between 1957 and 1958, only a few months before “Air-Camping”, the folding fabric roof tent by Giuseppe Dionisio (an inventor and designer also known as Gidion) who obtained the relevant patent in 1959.

Roof tents conquer the market.

Between the shell model and the folding fabric model there was no immediate competition, they were even lauched on the same stand at two exhibitions in 1959, first in Milan and then in Cuneo. Both “Maggiolina” and “Air-Camping”, as they were named, with their extraordinary inginuity were a huge success at the time, thanks to technical innovations that remain almost unchanged throughout 60 years of production, travel and history. Not only roof tents for camping: the two models are appreciated not only by tourists but by professional explorers and adven-ture travellers.

Despite the commercial aspect concerning ownership which followed, the “Air-Camping” roof tent model – which was easier to manufacture in terms of build and production – gradually attracted the attention of the public, finally entering the myth of adventure and extreme camping thanks to the historic adventures of Nino Cirani. This innovative outdoor lifestyle accessory was then being built - under Italian manufacturing licence - in many different countries, including: Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, USA and Great Britain. Roof tents had conquered the world market.

Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents history
Autohome Dachzelt - Roof Top Tents history
Roof Top Tents by Autohome Dachzelt - vintage photo

Autohome is created: specialists in roof tents.

At first, the roof tent represented an inexpensive alternative to independent travellers, however as time passed, the roof tents became an essential travel accessory, to such an extent that the manu-facturing company of the time decided to create “Autohome”, a brand created and manufactured in Italy that now includes seven styles of roof tents, “Maggiolina”, “AirTop”, “Columbus”, “Overland”, “Overzone”, “Overcamp”, “Air- Camping” and "Nomadland", with well over 100 models of roof tents avail-able to choose from, plus accessories to suit all requirements. Autohome is the history of roof tents.

HISTORICAL DESIGNS BY STEFANO STOGL
PATENTED IN MILAN (ITALY) IN 1958



Autohome is created: specialists in roof tents.

At first, the roof tent represented an inexpensive alternative to independent travellers, however as time passed, the roof tents became an essential travel accessory, to such an extent that the manu-facturing company of the time decided to create “Autohome”, a brand created and manufactured in Italy that now includes seven styles of roof tents, “Maggiolina”, “AirTop”, “Columbus”, “Over-land”, “Overzone”, “Overcamp”, “Air- Camping” and "Nomadland", with well over 100 models of roof tents avail-able to choose from, plus accessories to suit all requirements. Autohome is synonymous – today as in the past – with the adventurers who made history. Autohome is the history of roof tents.

HISTORICAL DESIGNS BY
STEFANO STOGL - PATENTED IN MILAN (ITALY)
IN 1958