Vehicle Description
1954 Kaiser Manhattan Supercharged Sedan ?Same owner for the past
25 years! ?Next-to-last model year for Kaisers in the United States
?One of only 4,107 factory Supercharged Manhattan sedans made in
1954 ?Mostly all-original car ?226 CID OHV straight six-cylinder
engine with McCulloch (now Paxton) Supercharger ?Hydramatic
four-speed automatic transmission ?Correct Arctic White over Comet
Blue exterior (code 467) ?Blue and gray tweed interior (code 5323)
?New brakes and brake lines If you have never heard of Kaiser
automobiles, you?re not alone. Most people under the age of 65 have
not since the company faded away in the U.S. after 1955. This is a
mostly original, 1954 Kaiser Manhattan Supercharged Sedan, one of
only 4,107 such examples made that year. Engineers at Kaiser-Frazer
used the same supercharger as was applied to the Thunderbird, thus
raising the horse power of the Manhattan from 115 to 140 BHP. The
car was instantly lauded for its power and performance. Finished in
factory correct Arctic White over Comet Blue, (code 467) the car?s
paint and trim are in overall good order. Some of the chrome pieces
show mild pitting but overall are in good shape. The car?s body is
straight, the engine bay is very tidy and the chrome bumpers fit
tightly to the body. The car rolls on bias-play wide whitewalls,
size 6.70-15 at every corner. Each tire is mounted on a steel wheel
topped by a factory wheel cover. The wheels and tires are all in
good, original order. Under the hood is a 226 CID inline
six-cylinder engine with a McCulloch (now Paxton) Supercharger. It
boosted horsepower by 22 to 140 and although frugal, the Kaiser?s
inline six-cylinder supercharged engine paled in comparison to the
power of competitor?s modern OHV V8s. Backing this engine is
General Motors? Hydramatic four-speed automatic transmission.
Driver convenience features include a heater. Inside, the car has a
blue and gray tweed interior (code 5323). The front and rear bench
seats are in very good order, while the corresponding carpet is in
good order. The blue headliner, on the other hands, looks great.
The instrument panel and blue and gray inner door panels are in
good, original order but the horn is inoperable. A column-mounted
shifter and a factory AM radio complete the interior. The cars were
designed by stylist Howard ?Dutch? Darrin, who had previously
designed several classic Packards. The Kaiser passenger car models
included the top-of-the-line Custom, Deluxe, and Manhattan sedans,
and a unique four-door hatchback sedan called the Traveler. Three
market forces spelled the end of the Kaiser company and its cars.
While Kaiser was first in 1948, they did not draw a big enough
following to achieve dominance after World War II. After GM and
many others launched all-new 1949 models, prospective Kaiser
customers fretted about being stuck with orphan cars. Second,
Kaiser bought Willys-Overland and renamed it Willys Motors.
Finally, a major fire destroyed General Motors? Hydramatic
transmission plant in Livonia, Michigan. To keep production lines
running, GM made Kaiser an offer it couldn?t refuse when it leased
the Willow Run factory. Competition to this Kaiser in 1954 included
Chevrolet?s Bel-Air, Dodge?s Coronet, Ford?s Crestline, Hudson?s
Wasp, Nash?s Ambassador and Plymouth?s Belvedere. If you like being
the center of attention wherever you stop, to get peppered with
questions at traffic lights and stop signs and to pilot something
unique, this factory supercharged Kaiser Manhattan might just be
the ticket. Stop by MotoeXotica Classic Cars today to check it out
for yourself. VIN: K5421002431 This car is currently located at our
facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer
shows 62,994 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and
clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!? Note: Please see
full terms and conditions listed below that pertain to the purchase
of any said vehicle, thank you.
