Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was established in August 1945 as a joint venture between the Henry J. Kaiser Company and Graham-Paige Motors Corporation. Both Henry J. Kaiser, a California-based industrialist, and Joseph W. Frazer, CEO of Graham-Paige, wanted to get into the automobile business and pooled their resources and talents to do so. [1]
The luxury line Frazer Manhattan Series F47C was introduced on March 23, 1947, at a $500 premium over the original Frazer Series F-47, which continued on as the Standard. By 1948, Frazer sales totaled about 1.5% of all American cars built.
At the 1953 New York Auto Show, Kaiser Motors announced that the Darrin would be available by that autumn. However, production models did not reach showrooms until January 1954, after the Corvette had entered the market. [4] [7] [10] [11] 1954 Kaiser Darrin interior. Among the factors that caused delay was the lack of an adequate powerplant.
Sales declined each year the car was marketed. In 1950 it had 1.35% of the market while in 1954 it achieved only 0.02%. [2] While the Henry J was inexpensive for consumers, its manufacturing and labor costs were high. Henry J. Kaiser had hoped to make a profit through volume production; however, the cars' slow sales negated his plan.
In 1955 Kaiser Motors Corporation had another name change to Kaiser Industries when it became a holding company for the major assets of the Henry J. Kaiser Company. The business then established a very broad base of activities, including a group of television stations. In 1953, Kaiser bought the Willys-Overland company for US$63,381,175 and ...
A 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 Streamliner valued between $50-70 million is among the historic cars set to be sold by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
Kaiser-Frazer urged its dealers to service Allstate cars when asked. Many Kaiser-Frazer dealers were displeased to see "their cars" sold by another outlet, especially since the Allstate carried more standard equipment, yet sold at a lower price than the Henry J. Sears marketed the car as "the lowest-priced full-sized sedan on the U.S. market."
Kaiser apparently did not take the car back and left it with Besler. In 1969, GM introduced two experimental steam-powered cars. One was the SE 124 based on a converted Chevrolet Chevelle, and the other was designated SE 101 based on the Pontiac Grand Prix. The SE 124 had its standard gasoline engine replaced with a 50 hp power Besler steam ...