Name this unique "Chicago" car


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Name this unique "Chicago" car
Posted by: daveg (---.lightspeed.joltil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: September 01, 2012 06:53PM

This car was photographed in the driveway of the Ransom Cable house, which is a Chicago landmark building, on Erie and Wabash.

What is this car's brand name? I don't remember. Hint: it is VERY unique, so forget Studebaker, etc.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/k9jdk/5871080825/in/set-72157626923342115

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Re: Name this unique "Chicago" car
Posted by: PKDickman (---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: September 01, 2012 07:38PM

it's a Kaiser Darrin.

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Re: Name this unique "Chicago" car
Posted by: b.a.hoarder (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: September 01, 2012 07:48PM

Dave, that is a Kaiser Darrin. Henry Kaiser made one of his fortunes during WWII building ships for troop and supply transport, and he built them faster than anyone thought possible. Then there was Kaiser Steel, Kaiser Aluminum, etc. He also saw the pent-up demand for new automobiles so in 1948 he introduced a line of cars called Kaiser-Frazier, big sedans first, then later on ('52??) he came out with his namesake, the Henry J. Compact, spartan, and underpowered it was never a big seller.
The Kaiser-Darrin got it's name because it was styled by Dutch Darrin a noted industrial designer. In addition to being low for that era (1954) it had doors than slid back, rather than being mounted on hinges. Think of a pocket door, or a slider on a closet.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/2012 08:23PM by b.a.hoarder.

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Re: Name this unique "Chicago" car
Posted by: WayOutWardell (---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: September 01, 2012 08:15PM

In a scene from one of the early episodes of the show 'Crime Story', there's a Darrin parked in the driveway of the house of one of the Outfit bosses.

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Re: Name this unique "Chicago" car
Posted by: daveg (---.lightspeed.joltil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: September 01, 2012 10:00PM

Many thanks for the replies. When I wandered past this car last year, I saw a guy working on the grounds of the building and asked him about it. He mentioned a name, which I don't think was Darrin and I said thanks.

I don't ever recall seeing one of these before that day.

Thanks again.

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