The ATL-98 Carvair was and is a truly unusual aircraft. Converted from 19 C-54 World War II transport planes and two DC-4 airliners into a small fleet of air ferries by Aviation Traders of Southend, England, the Carvair allowed commercial air passengers to accompany their personal cars, completely loaded with luggage, onboard the aircraft. The planes were dispersed throughout the world, operating for 75 airlines and transporting cars, royalty, rock groups, refugees, whales, rockets, military vehicles, gold, and even nuclear material. After 65 years, two Carvairs are still in service, and it's hard to imagine any fleet of aircraft more woven into world politics, operating in more remote areas, or transporting more diverse cargo.This work provides a comprehensive history of the ATL-98 Carvair, beginning with an overview of corporate histories and profiles of key players in the Carvair's development, including William Patterson, Donald Douglas, and Freddie Laker. Four chapters illustrate the evolution of the car-ferry as a viable aircraft, the history of Aviation Traders, engineering details incorporated into the Carvair's production, and major Carvair operators. The rest of the text features individual chapters on each of the fleet's 21 planes, providing individual histories and anecdotes for each aircraft. Several appendices provide general DC-4 fleet data, dated histories of each aircraft, lists of DC-4 and ATL-98 owners and operators, cross-referenced lists of registration and serial numbers, and lists of official and unofficial aircraft names.
