1951 Kaiser Deluxe Series K512 Sedan

Henry J. Kaiser was a man of many talents. During the Second World War, he revolutionized the way ships were built, resulting in his company, Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, producing nearly 1,500 hulls for the government using principles similar to the assembly line. After the war, he was introduced to Joseph Frazer, then president of Graham-Paige Motors. Soon after, the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was formed.

Though the two men had a good relationship, they differed in their beliefs about the type of automobile they should produce. Kaiser wanted an economical car fitted with revolutionary advancements such as front-wheel drive. Frazer preferred a more conventional luxury machine. The front-wheel-drive system proved to be a failure and in the end, Kaiser cars were more like a plain Frazer. Both Frazer's and Kaiser's sold well in the post-war era.

By the 1950s, consumers' tastes were becoming more refined as their options become vaster. Kaiser needed something new to stimulate interest in its vehicles. Howard 'Dutch' Darrin was commissioned to draw up a modern Kaiser; he had been responsible for the original designs of the Kaisers. The result of the modern styling was the streamlined models introduced in 1951.

The vehicles introduced in 1951, the Kaiser Special Series K511 and the Kaiser Deluxe Series K512, would remain virtually unchanged through the end of the marque production in 1955. The new design allowed for more glass areas which improved safety and driving enjoyment. Both the K511 and K512 had similar styling, but the K512 was fitted with additional trim features and richer appointments as standard equipment. The two model lines were distinguished by a strip of chrome that ran around the bottom of the body.

The K512 came in a variety of body styles including the two- and four-door sedan, two- and four-door Traveler Utility sedan, and two-door club coupe. The most popular was the four-door sedan, which sold for around $2330 and saw total production reach 56,723 units. The next closed model was the two-door sedan which had only 8,888 units produced. The most exclusive was the two-door Traveler Utility Sedan, of which there were 367 units created.

Both the K512 and K511 were powered by a six-cylinder L-head engine that displaced 226.2 cubic inches and produced 115 horsepower. Both had a wheelbase of 118.5 inches; the Special had a length of 208.5 inches, while the Deluxe was slightly larger at 210.3 inches.

This particular example is in rather poor shape. It was offered for sale at the Vintage Motor Cars sale at Hershey, PA presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $3,000 - $6,000 and offered without reserve. The lot was sold for $2,200, including the buyer's premium.

There are a number of accessories on this vehicle including a Borg-Warner overdrive, a Kaiser sun visor, AM radio, directional signals, and a 'necker's Knob' on the steering wheel. The odometer reads 96,293 miles and it was last inspected in Pennsylvania in 1965.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2007