Kaiser-Frazer was the new carmaker that tried to take on Detroit right after World War II. Shipbuilder Henry J. Kaiser and veteran auto executive Joseph W. Frazer started it, and the first Kaiser-Frazer cars left the Willow Run line in Michigan on May 29, 1946. Within a decade, the American side of the business had stopped building cars.
In between, the company tried luxury sedans, a hatchback-style utility car, a budget compact and a fiberglass sports car. Here are 10 of the cars it built, in roughly the order they arrived.
1. 1947 Kaiser Special
The Special was the first Kaiser-Frazer product most buyers saw. Initially, it was the cheaper Kaiser, a four-door sedan that shared its body with the more expensive Frazer. Under the hood sat a Continental L-head six of 226 cubic inches, rated at 100 horsepower at 3,600 rpm.
Ate Up With Motor’s Kaiser-Frazer history calls it “a cheaper, de-contented version of the new Frazer.” It started at $1,868 and rode a 123.5-inch wheelbase. As a result, it sold well, and the same history counts 70,474 Kaisers for the 1947 model year.
2. 1947 Kaiser Custom
Kaiser added a better-trimmed version partway through 1947. It was simply a better-trimmed Kaiser. However, it gave buyers who wanted more than basic transportation a reason to stay in the showroom.
Still, it never became the volume car. According to Ate Up With Motor, the Custom made up fewer than 10% of 1947 and 1948 Kaiser sales. By 1948, its price had climbed to $2,460.
3. 1947 Frazer, Kaiser-Frazer’s upscale sedan
The Frazer was the upscale twin of the Kaiser. Howard “Dutch” Darrin created its original scale model, and the Kaiser was a cheaper version of it. The Frazer, though, carried more trim and a higher price.
It started at $2,053, which Ate Up With Motor notes was over $100 more than an eight-cylinder Buick Special. Even so, buyers took 68,775 Frazers in the 1947 model year, according to the same history. That came close to the Kaiser’s total.
4. Frazer Manhattan
Manhattan was the name on the top-of-the-line Frazer. It aimed high on price. In fact, Kaiser-Frazer priced it against Cadillac rather than against Ford or Chevrolet.
For 1948, Ate Up With Motor says the Frazer Manhattan listed for $27 more than a Cadillac Series 62 sedan. That year was also the company’s best. Kaiser-Frazer built 91,851 Kaisers and 48,071 Frazers for 1948 and earned a net profit of $10.4 million.
5. 1949 Kaiser Traveler
The Traveler took a normal Kaiser sedan and turned its rear end into a cargo door. Kaiser cut the top rear section of the body so the trunk lid dropped down and the upper panel swung up. Opened up, the car could carry long loads like a wagon.
Hagerty’s look at Kaiser’s convertible family cars describes a flat, seven-foot cargo floor finished with wooden slats. Ate Up With Motor calls the Traveler “a novel hatchback sedan.” In addition, a separate Hagerty history says it cost $100 more than the regular sedan.
6. 1949 Kaiser Vagabond
Meanwhile, the Vagabond was the dressier version of the same idea. It used the same split rear opening and long cargo floor. But it added plusher trim for buyers who wanted a family car that could also haul.
Hagerty’s Kaiser-Frazer history puts the Vagabond another $200 above the Traveler. Together, the two utility models mattered. About a quarter of the roughly 100,000 Kaisers shipped for 1949 and 1950 were Travelers and Vagabonds, Hagerty says.
7. 1951 Henry J
The Henry J was Kaiser-Frazer’s try at a low-priced compact. It carried the chairman’s own name. Buyers chose a 134-cubic-inch four or a 161-cubic-inch six, both flathead engines bought from Willys-Overland.
Price was the pitch, but the gap was small. Ate Up With Motor says a Deluxe six started at $1,429, only about $50 less than a basic Chevrolet. Hagerty reports first-year sales of 81,000. After that, sales fell to 23,000 in the second year and 17,500 for 1953.
8. 1952 Kaiser Manhattan
When Kaiser reshuffled its names for 1952, Manhattan moved from the Frazer to the top Kaiser. The Special became the Deluxe, and the Manhattan replaced the old Deluxe. Prices rose sharply, in some cases by more than $500, according to Ate Up With Motor.
Later, the Manhattan got the power it had lacked. For 1954, Kaiser offered a McCulloch supercharger that raised output to 140 horsepower. The car also outlived the American company. In Argentina, IKA built 8,025 Carabelas, a local version of the 1954–55 Manhattan, between 1958 and 1961.
9. 1953 Kaiser Dragon
The Dragon was a luxury package on the Kaiser sedan. It came with 14-carat gold trim, special interior trim and carpet, and extra sound insulation. Hagerty’s buyer’s guide also points to its padded roof and “scaly” upholstery.
Naturally, the package was not cheap. Ate Up With Motor says it added $1,270 to the Manhattan’s price and included Hydra-Matic, a heater and a radio. Production figures differ, however. Hagerty’s 1951–55 Kaiser guide counts 1,277 Dragons, while Ate Up With Motor counts 1,227 sales.
10. 1954 Kaiser Darrin
The Darrin was Kaiser’s two-seat sports car, named for designer Howard “Dutch” Darrin. Glasspar supplied its fiberglass body. Its doors slid into the front fenders instead of swinging open.
Instead of a V8, power came from a Willys 161-cubic-inch six rated at 90 horsepower, according to the MotorCities National Heritage Area. It listed at $3,668, and dealers were reluctant to order it. Kaiser built only 435 Darrins. Afterward, Darrin himself bought more than 50 leftover cars and sold them from his Hollywood studio until mid-1957.
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This article was created with the help of AI and was reviewed and edited by Fast Lane Only editors before publication.
