The 1954 Kaiser Darrin you see right here is No. 281 of the 435 constructed, it was an revolutionary automotive with a light-weight fiberglass physique, forward-sliding doorways within the entrance fenders, and smooth styling that was constructed to rival the favored European sports activities automobiles of the time.
The Kaiser Darrin was primarily based on the Kaiser Henry J platform and powered by a Willys F-head inline-six with a displacement of 161 cubic inches (2.6 L) and round 90 bhp. Which means whereas the Kaiser Darrin is uncommon, getting spare components is usually pretty easy.
Quick Info – Darren Kaiser
- In 1952, the Kaiser-Frazer Firm, based by Henry J. Kaiser and Joseph W. Fraser, Darren, created a sports activities automotive to compete with common European sports activities automobiles available on the market. The aim was to lift the corporate’s place within the sports activities automotive market phase.
- Darren was a well-known American automotive designer Howard “Dutch” Darren, who had beforehand labored with luxurious automotive producers comparable to Rolls-Royce, Hispano-Suiza, and Packard. Darren is understood for his revolutionary design sensibility and experience in luxurious automobiles.
- The Kaiser Darrin 161 featured a fiberglass physique, the second American manufacturing automotive to make use of the fabric. As well as, it had revolutionary sliding doorways that disappeared into the entrance fender, a three-position convertible Landau roof, and a particular grille.
- The Kaiser Darrin was formally unveiled in 1953, however manufacturing delays and monetary difficulties on the Kaiser-Frazer Company meant that the primary fashions weren’t produced till 1954. Offered for just one yr, 435 had been made in whole and much fewer remained. . at the moment.
Howard “Dutch” Darren
Howard “Dutch” Darrin was a distinguished American car designer who made a reputation for himself by working with European luxurious automotive producers comparable to Rolls-Royce, Hispano-Suiza, and Packard.
Above video: This episode of Petersen Automotive Museum’s “Deep Dive” covers the historical past of the Darren Kaiser, providing a wonderful look into the historical past of the mannequin.
Born in 1897, Darrin started his profession as an plane designer earlier than shifting into car design within the Nineteen Twenties working in Paris with fellow American designer Thomas L. Hibbard, and collectively the 2 males fashioned the coachbuilder Hibbard & Darrin in 1923. Darrin’s revolutionary sensibilities for design and shortly His fame for producing luxurious automobiles has earned him recognition within the trade.
Earlier than the outbreak of World Conflict II, Darren returned to the US, organising his personal coachbuilder enterprise on Sundown Boulevard in Hollywood. Quickly he was working beneath contract with Packard on among the firm’s most influential designs of the Nineteen Thirties and Nineteen Forties, together with each the Packard 120 and the Packard Clipper.
Kaiser Fraser Company
The Kaiser-Frazer Company was based in 1945 by American industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and car govt Joseph W. Fraser. The corporate goals to compete with the Massive Three within the American auto trade: Normal Motors, Ford and Chrysler.
The Darien Kaiser was focused to the identical demographic because the then-new Chevrolet Corvette. Each automobiles had light-weight fiberglass our bodies, however solely the Darren had a guide transmission—the Corvette continued with an computerized transmission till 1955. Picture courtesy of Kaiser-Frazer Company.
Throughout World Conflict II, Kaiser accurately predicted that there could be an enormous surge in demand for inexpensive automobiles after the battle. Through the battle, the overwhelming majority of the civilian car trade was shut down and refocused on constructing automobiles and weapons for battle – so it was unimaginable to purchase a brand new automotive till after 1945.
The group at Kaiser-Frazer labored to create an inexpensive, simply mass-produced automotive that, as soon as the battle was over, went into manufacturing and loved sturdy early gross sales, aided on this by the truth that a number of main automakers returned to providing their very own. pre-war designs.
Whereas Kaiser-Frazer had some preliminary success, monetary challenges quickly started to mount. This setting paved the way in which for the introduction of the Kaiser Darrin, which was meant to lift the corporate’s profile within the sports activities automotive market.
Tsar Darren arrives
In 1952, Darren developed the automotive that grew to become referred to as the Kaiser Darien in secret, with out telling anybody at Kaiser-Frazer Company. He believed that the Kaiser Henry J sedan deserved a way more enticing physique than it was given, and got down to show it.
The grille design on the entrance of the Kaiser Darrin has lengthy divided automotive lovers, some loving it and others deriding it as “fish-mouth”. Picture supplied by Kaiser-Frazer Company.
As soon as he completed the prototype, which was constructed on the Kaiser Henry J platform however with a light-weight fiberglass physique, he confirmed it to Henry J. Kaiser, the president of Kaiser Motors, who completely hated it.
Happily, the tsar’s petition was with him, I took him apart and grieved one thing with impact:
“That is essentially the most stunning factor I’ve ever seen. I do not perceive why you do not work within the sports activities automotive enterprise. I do not suppose there might be many automotive corporations that will not work within the sports activities automotive enterprise after seeing this automotive.”
This modified Kaiser’s thoughts, and he greenlit the manufacturing challenge in hopes that it might give the corporate a automotive that might compete with European sports activities automobiles that had been promoting nicely in the US, such because the Jaguar XK120.
The Darrin’s revolutionary design featured a light-weight fiberglass physique, a primary for an American automotive on the time (excluding some small companies comparable to Devin), and a novel sliding door mechanism that allowed the doorways to vanish into the entrance bulkhead.
As a consequence of the truth that the automotive was primarily based on the Kaiser Henry J platform, spare components had been often simple to acquire regardless of the low quantity of the manufacturing course of. Picture supplied by Kaiser-Frazer Company.
In 1953, the Chevrolet Corvette was first proven to the world, precisely two months after the revealing of the Darien Czar, and in some methods it stole the Czar Darrin’s thunder, and have become the primary mass-produced sports activities automotive with a fiberglass physique in the US of America.
The Kaiser Darrin formally debuted in 1953, however manufacturing delays and monetary challenges meant that the primary fashions did not come off the meeting line till 1954, a yr after the Corvette. Regardless of its revolutionary design and early enthusiasm, the Kaiser Darrin confronted stiff competitors from automobiles such because the Corvette and sports activities automobiles from the extra prestigious European marques.
Named after the Willys F-head six-cylinder engine, which had a displacement of 161 cubic inches, the Kaiser Darrin 161 was a placing look with a low profile, lengthy hood, and smooth styling that set it aside from its contemporaries.
Along with the revolutionary sliding doorways, the Darrin boasted different new options, such because the Landau’s three-position convertible prime and a grille not like anything within the manufacturing.
Right here we see the motive force’s door open, sliding ahead into the entrance bulkhead. Some homeowners notice that it’s tough to get into or out of the automotive till you get caught.
Kaiser-Frazer Company was struggling financially because the Fifties progressed, and in 1954 the corporate merged with Willys-Overland to kind Willys Motors, Inc. And the newly fashioned firm selected to concentrate on the extra worthwhile Jeep model, spelling the tip for Darren Kaiser. Ultimately, solely 435 items had been produced, making it one of many rarest American sports activities automobiles constructed through the jet age.
Though the Kaiser Darrin had a short-lived manufacturing run, its legacy stays a novel piece of American automotive historical past. The Darrin’s fiberglass bodywork, sliding doorways and smooth styling left an indelible mark on the sports activities automotive market, with some components that later impressed different automotive producers.
Proven right here is Kaiser Darren in 1954
The automotive you see right here is instance #281 of the 435 made, completed in pink with wire wheels and period-matched white wall tires, with a black retractable tender prime, and black inside.
As you’d anticipate, there is a Willys F-head inline-six beneath the hood with a displacement of 161 cubic inches (2.6 liters) making round 90 horsepower.
Energy is returned through a three-speed guide transmission with overdrive and the automotive rides on impartial entrance suspension with wishbones and coils, a dwell rear axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs, and drum brakes on all 4 corners.
The automotive is now scheduled to undergo the block with Mecum in mid-April in Houston, and you may go to the itemizing right here if you would like to learn extra about it or register to bid.
Pictures supplied by Mecum
Articles written by Ben have been coated on CNN, Widespread Mechanics, Smithsonian Journal, Highway & Observe Journal, the official Pinterest weblog, the official eBay Motors weblog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Journal, Wired Journal, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and plenty of extra .
Ben based Silodrome in 2010, within the years because the web site has grown into a world chief within the substitute and classic automotive phase, with over 1,000,000 readers monthly from world wide and lots of of 1000’s of followers on social media.
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