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Kaiser-Darrin - Plastic series sports car with sliding doors

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Created on January 15, 2015

Reading time 6min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

RM Auctions

Darin Schnabel - Courtesy RM Auctions

Teddy Pieper - Courtesy RM Auctions

Darin Schnabel - Courtesy RM Auctions 2011

Eugene Robertson - Courtesy RM Auctions

Archiv

Daniel Reinhard

RM Auctions

Darin Schnabel - Courtesy RM Auctions

Teddy Pieper - Courtesy RM Auctions

Darin Schnabel - Courtesy RM Auctions 2011

Eugene Robertson - Courtesy RM Auctions

Archiv

Kaiser Darrin (1954) - atemberaubendes Styling

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Kaiser Darrin (1954) - einfach gehaltene Front

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Kaiser Darrin (1954) - die kurzen Türen lassen sich in den Kotflügel schieben

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Kaiser Darrin (1954) - fliessende Linien, der Konkurrenz voraus

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Kaiser Darrin (1954) - für Offenspass zu Dritt

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Kaiser Darrin (1954) - auch das Interieur ist schlicht gehalten

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Kaiser Darrin (1954) - komplette Instrumentierung

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Kaiser Darrin (1954) - Panorama-Windschutzscheibe

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Kaiser Darrin (1954) - Türmechanismus - Ziel war mehr Sicherheit und weniger Raumbedarf

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Kaiser Darrin (1954) - mit Reihen-Sechszylindermotor

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Kaiser Darrin (1954) - Willys Motors Typenschild - der Wagen entstand nach dem Merger von Kaiser mit Willys

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Kaiser Darrin (1954) - mit eigenen Kaiser-Darrin-Zeichen

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Kaiser Darrin (1954) - Weisswandreifen stehen dem Wagen sehr gut

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Kaiser Darrin (1954) - geräumiger Kofferraum

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Kaiser Darrin (1954) - kleiner Kühlergrill

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Kaiser Darrin (1954) - der berühmte "Kussmaul"

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Kaiser Darrin (1952) - frühe Variante in der Verkaufsliteratur

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Kaiser Darrin (1953) - frühes Exemplar, schön sichtbar ist hier das Landaulet-Top

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Kaiser Darrin (1953) - mit Schiebetüren, Exemplar mit geteilter Frontscheibe

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Kaiser Darrin (1954) - Kunststoff-Cabriolet mit den speziellen Schiebetüren - Genfer Automobilsalon 1954

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Kaiser Darrin Roadster (1954) - als Lot 168 an der RM Auction Amelia Island 2014 angeboten

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Kaiser-Darrin Roadster (1954) - angeboten an der RM Versteigerung von Arizona am 16./17. Januar 2014

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Kaiser-Darrin Roadster (1954) - versteigert als Lot 254 durch RM Auction am 17. August 2013 in Monterey

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Kaiser-Darrin Roadster (1954) - klassische Pontonform - versteigert an der RM Auction Arizona 2011

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Kaiser-Darrin Roadster (1954) - typische Ponton-Formgebung - versteigert an der RM Auction Arizona 2011

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Kaiser-Darrin Roadster (1954) - Interieur - versteigert an der RM Auction Arizona 2011

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Kaiser-Darrin Roadster (1954) - Blick in den Motorraum - versteigert an der RM Auction Arizona 2011

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Kaiser-Darrin Roadster (1954) - verkauft an der RM Auction Arizona (19. und 20. Januar 2012) für USD 99'000

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Summary

In 1952, Kaiser introduced the Kaiser-Darrin, the first mass-produced plastic sports car in the USA, a few months before the Chevrolet Corvette. The sliding doors, which disappeared into the front fenders, were revolutionary. Because the car was too expensive and due to the merger turmoil between Kaiser and Willys, it did not become a big business and only 435 examples of Howard Darrin's sports car were produced. This report tells the interesting story of the creation of the Kaiser-Darrin and shows the car in historical and current photographs.

This article contains the following chapters

Based on proven technology
Plastic for stability with low weight
Sliding doors for greater safety
Kissing mouth design
The influence of the woman
Motorama debut
With Glasspar support
Not on sale until December 1953
A sports car?
Turbulence and utilization of leftover stock
One of 435
Further information

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

If there is one thing Howard "Dutch" Darrin cannot be accused of, it is that he lacked vision. The talented designer was an early adopter of plastic and innovative safety features, but he was never successful. Darrin worked for Kaiser Motors and his ideas were not always well received. When he was disappointed with the exterior of the Henry J, Kaiser Motors' compact car, he thought that something better could be done with the car's chassis. And so the idea of building a sports car was born. Two elements were to give the convertible a special status: a plastic body and sliding doors. Darrin had relevant experience with both.

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