Vehicle Description
1947 Kaiser Special
The 1947 Kaiser Special dates from a time of shining possibilities
for its manufacturer. Ambitious, fast-moving California
industrialist Henry Kaiser had teamed up with savvy Detroit veteran
Joseph Frazer to do the seemingly impossible - crack the U.S. auto
industry "club" epitomized by the Big Three of General Motors,
Ford, and Chrysler. If it couldn't beat 'em, Kaiser-Frazer
Corporation would have been quite content to join 'em.
The gleaming freshness of the 1947 Kaiser Special pictured here is
a metaphor in metal for K-Fs prospects in its early days. One of
65,062 built for the model year (plus another 5,412 later-arriving
Customs), it is original in all but paint, which has been resprayed
to match its factory hue. A consigner stated 50,872 actual mile
car.
Exterior
Retaining all of its original simplistic charm, this special has
been resprayed in Buckeye Maroon. Nice chrome adorns the front in
the form of a symmetrical grille which floats above a body matching
curved chrome bumper. A large K badge with a buffalo on the bottom
which was used because Kaiser had intended to produce a front wheel
drive car, and the buffalo has all if its strength on the front of
its body. As we go rearward, the panels are mostly straight with a
few faults throughout, but nothing out of ordinary. Some dimpling
on the door handle chrome, and mirrors as well as rusting screws
can be seen. A nicely curved back of this car is made up of a
massive C pillar, rounded and curved rear glass, and a curved trunk
which ends in another curved bumper which is in good condition.
Some scratches and unevenness can be seen on the rockers of this
car.
Interior
Upfront a nicely restored resprayed dash in Taupe coloring is
peppered with a narrow styled instrument panel, a large central
chromed "speaker" (although there is no radio), and a lineup
directly underneath of bakelite knobs which include an air
conditioning unit mounted under the passenger side of the dash. An
original steering wheel with its K and buffalo logo sits in front
of the dash and has nicely chromed shift lever and signal actuator
attached. The original front bench which has some recovering in a
red and black plaid is covered with a blanket. The rear bench is in
good condition and has been recovered to match the original cloth
in simple tan. Door panels are covered in fabric and sport the push
button door openers in lieu of a lever. Nice tan carpeting mostly
unscathed except for a few spots in the driver's side, floods the
floors in front and rear. A note about the doors...the bottoms show
invasive rust. The trunk remains unrestored.
Drivetrain
Under hood is the 226ci Continental-built L-head six that powered
Kaisers and Frazers. It made 100 horsepower in the 1947 Special. In
the featured car, it is hooked to a Borg-Warner three-speed manual
transmission.
Undercarriage
A strong frame with some surface rust, and body hangers is noted
underneath. A 3.73 axle specification and 4-wheel drum brakes can
be seen.
Overall a nice example with some faults, dings and dents, and areas
of patina. With just a little TLC this car could be show worthy,
however it drives smoothly, starts quickly, and has a bias in the
braking tending towards the right. Overall a drive away from
Classic Auto Mall which is basically turn the key and go, for as
far as you want.
Serial Tag
Model 100-K100 Special
Body 5-4 Door Sedan
Paint 151-Buckeye Maroon
Trim 122-?
TR 2-3 Speed Manual
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 300 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.
