Fulton’s ‘One Man Caravan’

Bike: 1932 Douglas H32 Mastif
ENGINE: 750cc sidevalve flat twin
HORSEPOWER: 20hp
SPEED: 75mph
WEIGHT: 750lbs with gear
FUEL CAPACITY: 7gal
RANGE: 350 miles

At a swank London dinner party in 1932, Robert Edison Fulton Jr spontaneously declared he would return home to the USA by traveling East, on a motorcycle. At the table was a member of the Douglas family, who built exceptional motorcycles in Bristol. Within two weeks Fulton was astride this very machine, headed across Europe with too much gear on board, including a tuxedo for embassy dinner parties. By the time he reached Turkey, he’d pared down his supplies, but kept his camera and 40,000 feet of 35mm cinema film, with which he documented his journey. His book ‘One Man Caravan’ is a delightful account of the journey, as is his film of the same name, both remarkable documents from the golden age of round-the-world travel.