Vehicle Description
This 1954 Kaiser Darrin is absolutely gorgeous and was the
beneficiary of an extensive frame-off restoration. While the newly
created Kaiser-Frazer Corporation saw early success in the first
few years following World War II, by the early 50s, Kaiser-Frazer
was on its last legs. In its early years, Kaiser was able to offer
new automobile designs, something that was highly desired by the
American public and something that the "Big Three" was unable to do
until the late 40s. In fact, Kaiser had sold 70,000 new units of
its debut vehicle mostly due to the innovative new-look design. By
1949, Detroit's "Big Three" had caught up and sold their newly
designed cars at far bigger discounts than the struggling
Kaiser-Frazer could possibly offer. Ultimately, the joint venture
between Henry J. Kaiser (a famed American shipbuilder and
industrialist) and Joseph W. Frazer (a notable American automotive
industry executive) was in such desperate financial troubles, it
was bailed out by the federal government. Using funds from the
federal bailout, Kaiser released its Henry J which was an
affordable car for the "every man." An early hire at the
Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was famed automobile designer, Howard
"Dutch" Darrin, who'd spent his pre-war years designing bodies for
General Motors' Cadillac marque under Harley Earl and later
Packard. With the outbreak of World War II, Darrin was out of a job
but was later commissioned by Frazer to design an automobile and he
was later hired as a design consultant for Kaiser-Frazer. Kaiser
largely scoffed at Darrin's innovative designs and he was actually
fired. However, in hopes to turn around the company's fortunes,
Darrin was later re-hired in 1951 to reinvigorate the struggling
American automaker. Disliking the boxy design of the Henry J, Dutch
Darrin created a prototype of a 2 door roadster body on the Henry J
chassis, all made out of fiberglass which was a quite a novel idea
back in the early 50s. The resulting vehicle would be shown across
the country in the years that followed with the full production
version being offered for sale in 1954, as the Kaiser Darrin. The
idea of a 2 seater roadster was in the works for many American
automakers, such as Chevrolet (Corvette), Ford (Thunderbird), and
of course Kaiser, all of which seemed to emulate the European
imports that were beginning to take hold at the time. The
production Kaiser Darrin was built on the 100 inch Henry J chassis
and featured a gorgeous all fiberglass body with beautiful body
lines and perhaps most notably, sliding doors that tucked into the
front fenders of the car. Despite its dazzling design and unique
features, the 1954 Kaiser Darrin was a sales flop for the
struggling Kaiser-Willys (as it was now known) with the total sales
reaching a mere 435 units. Ultimately, the company ceased its
United States in 1955 with losses exceeding $100 million and its
sales figures being just a fraction of what they once were. Due to
the incredible design and very low production the 1954 Kaiser
Darrin remains one of the most collectible American made
automobiles of all time with only a handful examples trading hands
in recent years. This particular example comes to us from a private
collection where it resided and was well cared for over a nearly 40
year span. Under the hood on this Kaiser is a 161.1 Cubic Inch
F-Head "Hurricane" Inline 6 cylinder engine paired with a single
barrel carburetor that was said to have pushed out 90 horsepower
when new. The 161 Hurricane 6 is backed by 3 speed manual
transmission with overdrive that makes this Darrin a fun car to
drive. The chrome and brightwork around the exterior of this '54
Kaiser Darrin is exceptionally nice. Riding on a set of wide
whitewall tires on chrome wire wheels with Kaiser hubcaps, this
roadster has a fantastic fifties look. The fiberglass body has been
correctly refinished in a beautiful Champagne White that gives the
car its wonderful European appearance. The red vinyl convertible
top is also in fantastic condition and completes the exterior look
of the car. The interior on this Kaiser Darrin is absolutely
stunning! The bucket seats, center waterfall, and padded dash have
been correctly reupholstered in Red vinyl with white cording that
is fantastic condition. The sliding doors work great and the door
panels are in excellent shape as well. The padded dash, steering
wheel and instrument cluster appear to be in their stock
configuration and are in superb condition. The dash is equipped
with a 120 MPH speedometer, 6,000 RPM tachometer, oil pressure
gauge, fuel gauge, temperature gauge, and battery gauge, along with
a center-mounted rearview mirror. Whether you're adding to your
existing collection or your you're purchasing your first classic
car, this 1954 Kaiser Darrin Sports Roadster would make an
excellent choice. Give us a call at 763-428-7337!
*161.1 Cu. In. "Hurricane" F-Head Inline 6
*Single Barrel Carburetor
*90 Horsepower
*3 Speed Manual w/ Overdrive
*Wide Whitewalls on Chrome Wire Wheels
*1 of 435 Kaiser Darrins Produced
*Extensive Frame-Off Restoration
*Correct Champagne White Exterior
*Correct Red Vinyl Bucket Seats
*Red Vinyl Convertible Top
*Stock Instrumentation
*Odometer Reads: 35,703 Miles
If an inaccurate automobile price is inadvertently listed on this
Website, Seller reserves the right to NOT honor the erroneous
price.
For more information and a current list of vehicles, call
763-428-7337.
