1954 Kaiser Special - A Beautiful Failure

This is what we need back, just simple cars, that bring you from point a to point b. Cars today are full of crap, sensors, computer junk, back up cameras and more. The more junk you put in it, the more junk to break and it just adds to the price for nothing. Something easy to fix and easy to drive. My first car had no power steering, brakes or windows.

Way ahead of most other cars of that year.

The one flaw that brought some of these vehicles to an end was that unlike Ford, GM, and Chrysler they may only have on dealership in a city with other brands having four to six.

I remember them being taxies in Holland and my father had a Henry J with a 4cyl side valve willys engine

The 54/55 was a great looking car...better even than its competition.but by then the kaiser name was a loser in the eyes of the car buyer.sadly.

Idc if it’s slow
I want it

Most people in my city drive slow like turtles so it won’t matter

Stone cold stunning ... too bad the engine of the featured car is gone ... can hear the piston slap, and thin crank bearings when you first get into it ... and that manifold exhaust leak when you first start it.

No matter. SOLD!!!

Yes a neat car!

They made them .what habe u made

Their main failure was they couldn't produce a V8, which this big car needed. They had a tentative agreement with GM on acquiring the Oldsmobile V8 but it fell through.

i love the car too, i wonder why I didn't know more about a man that built so much, was he hard to gt along with.

Thank you… History….. Interestingly, about the “ same” for me….. though , from close to S BEND INDIANA, more Studebaker/ etc in the MIX…..ACTUALLY, in 1961-62 , I had to drive/ my Parents 1959 DODGE CORONET 9 Pass. Station Wagon( push Button. /318v8?)! Anyways, then my Dad found a**1954 Ford V82Door/ Manuel((Body well customized!, & 1957 289/4BBL/ Dual Exhausts,etc)((*no rust, Mechanics Car)….WOULD HAVE given anything fOR a loaded 1954 loaded KAISER etc… PS:: a big**story was my Cousin trading in her Hawk (1953?) for a port Hole FORD Thunderbird (1956?), etc…

The Kaiser should be super collectable. The engine was made by Continental...so it's pretty damn common. They are simple to work on, great to ride in, and like the man said. Rare.

Gorgeous tail lights

Kaiser boost 😂

Ovi stari automobili su raj za oči.

Kaiser shipyards didn't build battleships. They built Liberty and Victory cargo ships and escort carriers.

Excellent production man. You really combine good tunes, visuals & history! And, i agree, the taillights are super cool. I was twenty years ahead of you but exactly same car addiction as a kid. Tons of books on old cars! Love it❤

I had a Frazer while serving in Germany.
Great car. Front seats cranked all the way back to make two beds ! (Great on dates).
It was built in South America.

The junk science of climate change is one reason why great cars like this will never be built again. When one realizes that the supposed solution to climate change is to produce electric vehicles, nothing has been accomplished. Projected costs to drive an EV today amount to about 17 dollars per gallon of gas compared to a gas powered vehicle. I was told that the only reason Kaisers ceased to be produced in South America was that the sheet metal presses wore out.

So cool of a Kar K for Kaiser

It’s funny how people think these cars are so heavy. I’ve personally weighed my 53 Manhattan and it came out to 3244 lbs. The spec for 1954 is about 3373lbs. For comparison, a new Dodge Challenger weights roughly 4400lbs. I’ve also weighed a 2016 Jeep Compass 4WD in at 3,278.

Pity its not the supercharged version

My dad had a Kaiser, every time the temperature got over 90, the engine would get vapor lock.

❤❤❤❤❤❤😢😢😢😢

Many incredible cars in the 50s. Kaiser Frazier, Henry J, Packard, Studebaker and my favorite 1952 Hudson Commodore.

Kaiser was an ugly car

My Dad had a 1954 Kasier Special. He bought it new. He wanted a Green/ Cream color. But settled for a Dark Grey body with a Light Grey roof because the dealer had this color in Stock. He drove the car over 100k miles owning it till 1963, when he traded it on a 1963 Studebaker Cruiser. As a kid I often washed and waxed it. The most distinctive feature I remember was the beautiful dashboard. I really enjoyed viewing this video. As it brought back many fond memories.

With him wantin to be so advnaced i wonder what would have happened if he met tucker...

Your nine-year-old self was correct, the car is stunning

For anyone who values original thought, it’s a masterpiece

Real nice script. Obviously the person who made this video truly appreciates and knows cars.

I rode in a Kaiser and thought it was great. Sometimes false information about vehicles becomes commonplace and people don't buy these cars. Owners of Ford Edsel automobiles told me they were very pleased with their cars. Unlike building techniques at the time, Kaiser prefabricated ship parts at different locations. The different components were brought to a shipyard for assembly. Producing warships this way was much faster. Kaiser built ships faster than the German subs could ship them. I am guessing, but I think Germans ended up building jets this way.

Is there a health care company descended from Kaiser's WW 2 industry?

Did you know that Kaiser built the snowy mountains scheme in Victoria

Nice I just bought a 1951 Kaiser car. Everything's original inside the car so cool

Kaiser's original factory, in Willow Run Michigan, had been built to construct B-24 bombers. It was massive - much bigger than they needed. Henry Kaiser entered into a five-year lease in 1947 but didn't renew it. Instead, in 1953 he purchased Willys-Overland in Toledo Ohio, and moved Kaiser production there. Kaiser (and Frazer) used Continental 6-cylinder engines. Continental had built a factory on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit back in 1912. Over the years Continental engines were used by numerous automobile and truck manufacturers, but by the end WWII the plant was partially "mothballed". When Kaiser-Frazer began building cars at the Willow Run plant, engine production at Continental's Jefferson Avenue plant resumed, but since they essentially had only one customer, Continental decided to sell the factory and tooling to Kaiser. When Kaiser shifted automobile production to Toledo, they also moved engine manufacturing there, and the Continental-designed six essentially stayed in production (for Kaiser Jeeps) long after they stopped making automobiles in this country.

You rarely see one today.

Would be fun to drive a pristine example. Most people would not know what it was.

That Kaiser add looks a lot like the movie Hitari add.
Colorful block letters.

That's a splendid car. I hope lots are them will be restored in the future.

Don’t remember the exact year, but my dad got tired of the waiting list for a normal car and bought one of these. I was a regular teenage driver at the time and really didn’t like the free-wheeling concept. Once driving down a steep canton road I tried pulling the knob on the dash to change from that and it didn’t work. Luckily it had good brakes and I got it slowed to where the pullout knob now worked. Guess I really hated that car and was thankful for the trade up to a 52 merc. Loved that car.

Beautiful ❤...sad to see another victim, of the 'Big Three'...😢

The 1954 facelift clearly shows Buick influence and the name "Special" comes directly from Buick as well. Edgar Kaiser later said, "Slap a Buick name on it and it would sell like hotcakes."

The 1953 Kaisers were much more attractive. True Dutch Darrin design, especially the front. Right up there with the 1953-55 Studebaker.

I love the look of the Kaiser/Fraser cars. way ahead of their time

3 speed

I like the look. It's not like 'everything else'. The whole thing seems to be very well built, unlike Detroit normally does.

I bought a copy of that book at Barnes & Noble, NYC back in 1977. I still have it in the attic. It was a great read.