A big thanks to Barney Goodwin (of Barneys Jeep Parts) for sending me this early edition of the Kaiser Willys News. This is issue #3. A couple interesting things about this issue. Perhaps the biggest curiosity is that there isn’t much related to jeeps in this issue, confirming that even by early 1954 there was still a lot of integration still going on. Issue #2, seen in the post below, also didn’t have much information related to jeeps. Volume 4 of the newspaper, which appeared in May (and can be seen below the #2 issue), had a few more jeep specific references.
Mention of the Darrin is prominent in these early issues, considering the debut of the Fiberglass bodied Corvette in 1953, this was a very competitive move for a small company like Kaiser to go up against a giant like General Motors.
There was a Darrin in my neighborhood back in 1950’s NJ, as I mentioned before, the Darrin was always parked on the street, Crooks Ave Paterson, then not seen till the house was sold in the 1980’s. Rumor had it that it was kept in the owners basement for many years.
Interesting to note the prominent mention of the Kaiser Darrin in this 1954 issue. Considering the 1953 introduction of the Fiberglass bodied Corvette, This was a very competitive move by a small company like Kaiser to take on a giant like General Motors. As I mentioned before, there was a Darrin in my neighborhood in the 1950’s, always parked on Crooks Ave Paterson, NJ. At some point in time during the 1960’s, it was no longer seen, it re-appeared in the 1980’s when the owners house was sold. Rumor had it that the Darrin was hidden away in the basement of the house.
Mike: On that subject, here’s an article about Darrin vs. the Corvette: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/reviews/classics/1953-kaiser-darrin-was-the-would-be-corvette-killer/article11745714/ … I don’t know how accurate or not it is, as I’m not an expert on either vehicle.
I HAVE KAISER DARRIN PARTS LAYING ALL OVER — F-161’S — T-96’S — BUT I HAVE NO KAISER DARRIN — I ALMOST BOUGHT ONE YEARS AGO — 1975 — GUY WANTED $5000 FOR A FIXER-UPPER — UNHEARD OF PRICE AT THAT TIME — BOY , AM I A DUMB SON OF A !@#$%^&* !!!~
There is a Kaiser Darin up for auction at https://www.proxibid.com/Collector-Cars/Classic-Vintage-Cars/1954-Kaiser-Darrin-Project/lotInformation/53310624#topoflot