This is an absolutely stunning 1954 Kaiser-Darrin Roadster (161-001012), body number 161-1012. In the earliest days, the ‘Kaiser-Frazer Corporation’ was established in August 1945 by American industrialist, Henry Kaiser, and American automobile company executive, Joseph Frazer. The project was a joint venture between both the Henry J. Kaiser Company, and the Graham-Paige Motors Corporation. After having successfully sold 300,000 total automobiles by summer of 1948, the company decided to build a unique fiberglass-bodied sports car known at the time as the Kaiser-Darrin-Frazer 161. The announcement was made during the 1953 New York Auto Show that a new unique model would be arriving soon, that would be styled by American free-lance automotive stylist, Howard "Dutch" Darrin, who already had previous experience working with Kaiser automobiles in 1951, as well as the 1947–48 Kaiser & Frazer. In January of 1954, the model offically went into production as the ‘Kaiser Darrin’, after the first prototype was shown to the public in September of 1952 at the Los Angeles Motorama, which was just two months before Chevrolet debuted the Corvette. This car shown here is believed to be the 12th example produced in the production lineup. The Kaiser Darrin was one of the first ever U.S. cars to feature a lightweight, fiberglass bodyshell, which was an extremely impressive advancement at the time, and was only seen elsewhere on the 1953 Corvette. The Kaiser Darrin also came equipped with a number of unprecedented features such as doors that slide into the front fenders, and a disappearing convertible roof top. Only around 60% of the total 435-unit production still exists to this day, amounting to just around 300 cars left surviving.
How many made? Approximately 435 plus 6 prototypes
Engine: 161 cu in (2.6 L) F-head six cylinder, 90-hp
Debut: September 1952 at the Los Angeles Motorama
0-60mph: around 14.6 seconds
Top Speed: around 140mph
Photo Credit: @am_media_ny
Research: @rarecarsonly