This is an image of the glorious
Hoover Constellation known as `Connies'! It is a brilliant spherical vacuum cleaner first made back in 1956 in the UK, earlier in America, according to the very knowledgable
Paul Linnell. It has no wheels but just floats above the carpet on its exhaust and sucks like a demon! It was made in a range of glorious colours a few of which you can see above. So why don't they make them anymore? Well Maytag brought out an alternative, The Satellite, in 2006 which is supposed to operate on similar principles but being styled in a more modern vein and with a brushed stainless steel finish to it, it has too much of a kettle-trying-to-be-a-vacuum-cleaner feel to it to appeal to me.
I have used a brilliant Constellation, which we've owned for around 25 years until recently but the motor finally died and I am told replacement parts are no longer available to repair it. I was told in the repair shop to just buy a new vacuum and expect it to last about 5 years....!
What can be done to persuade Hoover to remake the Constellation? Make the parts so it can be repaired and we don't need to keep buying then chucking away new consumable stuff - much more eco- and make it in a range of fab retro colours. I can't help but believe thay would be snapped up. One even featured in Mad Men apparently - see below!
Look at how the
Danbury van brought the old vw campervan back for those who wanted that aesthetic without the foibles of old engine/ bodywork (just don't do a cost comparison between the two...). You only need to look at the amazing
old Hoover factory in Perivale to know that Hoover used to be bang on or ahead of the design trend of the moment in the past. Looks like their old factory in Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil closed down in 2009 because they couldn't compete on the world market.
So for now I've just bought a `new' old Constellation off
Ebay where they are sometimes available Its a collectors item and probably not be used to hoover with but hey ...how could you not!
