In the first two posts in this series, we covered new and exciting destinations that opened their doors to Barbie during the Seventies. Whether it was a ski holiday, a fishing trip, or a beach vacation, while Sixties Barbie could dress for the occasion, only Seventies Barbie ever arrived. But did she arrive… in style?
Yes, of course she did. Let’s find out how.
We’ll dive straight in with the headlining act: Barbie’s most stylish mode of transit, 1959 to present. Naturally, that can only mean the Friend Ship, Barbie’s United-Airlines-branded commercial aircraft which was advertised in 1973-74.
Granted that Barbie is usually in uniform and on the clock while aboard the Friend Ship, but even that was pretty glamorous at the time. The ship included a galley, service cart with accessories, passenger seating, plus illustrated areas for the cockpit and storage for luggage and outerwear. Opening out to amost 5 feet long, it can serve as an eye-catching display.
The cousin of the Friend Ship, Barbie’s Chris-Craft-branded Dream Boat was advertised in 1975 but went out with the tide after just one year. Functionally, it’s very similar to the plane: a case that opens out to form a long vessel. Inside is a galley kitchen with booth seating and, in a second space, a day bed that converts to bunk beds. While the Friend Ship exterior resembles an airplane even while closed, the folded-up boat is just styled like an anonymous rectangle. However, when open for play its exterior forms important parts of the scene: the ship’s decks, ladders down toward the water, and space for the removable bridge Ken operates below.
Finally, during this decade Barbie was regularly seen zipping from location to location on four wheels. While automobile travel was certainly not new to her (for that matter, she could hop into various quirky little biplanes and speedboats, whether official or no, in the ’60s too), her ’70s autos took on a more vacation-y bent. Like the Dream Boat, the Country Camper, which we also visited in an earlier entry, was both the mode of transport and the destination. It was advertised from ’72 to ’77 and was joined by the similar Beach Bus in ’74.
In ’77, the Star Traveler elevated Barbie’s style on the road from van life to, per the JC Penney Christmas catalog, “a 36 in. long lookalike of a GMC motor home.” The interior was comparatively luxe, with kitchenette, dining area with L-shaped seating, swivel chairs, bunk bed, shower, and a total of two sinks; camp chairs, hibachi and detachable deck were also included for roadside cookouts. Like the earlier bus and camper, Barbie could use this commodious RV to return to nature. It could also serve as practical transport for her new Superstar lifestyle, hitting all the stops on a sold-out world tour.
One final Superstar vehicle, the Star’Vette, was less spacious than any of the foregoing and seems more geared to bopping around town. Yet it too is an option for long-haul travel, evidenced by the aluminum-look suitcase strapped to the luggage rack; it even had a trailer hitch in back.
A trailer hitch… luggage rack… and a suitcase… before Barbie’s vacation gets going she may need just one or two more things!
Where to next? This post is part of the Barbie’s Seventies Travelogue series. If you’re just joining us, you may next choose to peruse Part I or Part II. Or turn to the Appendix. Our most popular story on the world inhabited by Barbie is the one on penthouse apartments, which also has some Seventies flavor. The overall most popular posts on this site are about shoes and fashion booklets. Or just head up to the Table of Contents to see more options.
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