1954 Kaiser Darrin

This beautiful 1954 Kaiser Darrin 161 is for sale in our Fort Lauderdale Showroom. Built by Kaiser Motors in 1954, the American sports car was designed by Howard Darrin. Essentially a revamp of Kaiser’s Henry J compact, the Kaiser Darrin was noted for being the first American car equipped with a fiberglass body and for having door that slid on tracks into the front fender wells. The Darrin was conceived as part of a movement to compete head-to-head with the European roadsters being imported and sold in the United States in the post-World-War-II period. As a designer, one of Darrin’s trademarks was that of a sweeping fender line which descended gently along the side of the car until it reached a “dip” at the head of the rear fender. Along with Darrin's trademark fender line, the Kaiser Darrin had entry doors that, instead of being hinged to open outward, slid on tracks into the front fender wells behind the front wheels. The 1954 Darrin for sale is equipped with a three-position Landau top, which was considered novel at the time, and the design on the whole is beautifully proportioned. The only flaw was considered the car's front grille. High and shell-shaped, it looked as though the automobile "wanted to give you a kiss," as one writer commented. Champagne Lacquer white adorns the exterior, while the interior features color-keyed red vinyl bucket seats. The instruments are clustered ahead of the steering wheel from a white display that matches the exterior of the vehicle, and the rest of the dash is padded red to mirror the rest of sleek and elegant interior. White wall radial tires around steel wheels with original hub caps complete the look of this American sports car. The power plant for this ’54 Darrin for sale is a 161 CID F-head 6-cylinder engine matched to a 3-speed manual transmission with overdrive. With quick steering, and a braking system that was borrowed from the much heavier Kaiser Manhattan, the Darrin is easy to drive. Crumbling corporate finanes, the pending loss of assembly facilities and a freak snowstorm all conspired to terminate the program. In the end only 435 production Darrins were built. Options include: vinyl interior; seatbelts; hubcaps; radial white wall tires; manual convertible top. Located in our Fort Lauderdale Showroom this 1954 Kaiser Darrin 161 can be seen including HD pictures and videos at www.GatewayClassicCars.com, or call 954-227-4202 for additional information.