As the 1950's roll along, more and more people were throwing their hat into the mass production ring of automobiles. One such individual was named Henry Kaiser. Originally a ship builder, Kaiser earned himself a respectable living building ships for the war effort. Kaiser sought out, and teamed up with, Joseph Frazer from the legendary Jeep-Willys company. Their union together produced the Kaiser car company.
The first models to roll of the assembly line was a four door sedan version. The new autos were well recieved, and by the end of the decade, a full 5% of all autos produced were from the Kaiser company. In the early 1950's a two door model named the Henry J was introduced and from there the idea and eventual birth of the Kaiser Darrin was formed. Other roadsters were being introduced at the same time, but what made the Darrin stand apart from the crowd was the doors. Instead of having two doors on a convential upper and lower hinge set up, the doors on the Darrin actually slid on rollers into the long front fenders.
Aimed at a more upper scale affluent crowd, the Darrin most certainly made a splash when first taken to the country club. Not a model known for it's performance, style was the main focus of the auto. Engine choices were quite simple, as the tried and true 161 cubic inch Willys straight six was your only option. Coupled to a manual 3-speed gear box, the car had plenty of pep to get the otherwise fiberglass auto down the road at a brisk pace. Those looking for more punch under the hood had to wait a couple of years. Henry Darrin, known among his friends as "Dutch", paired the unique auto with a Cadillac engine and an optional supercharger. Now that is one hot rod convertible!!
Sadly, the Darrin Roadster only lived for a short 435 examples. The line was dropped due to a lofty price tag and unconventional styling. Shortly after, the entire Kaiser Car Company was also shut down. If wanting to see this auto in person, keep a sharp eye out. Not too many of them around, you know.
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