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- HENRY J (US) 1950-1954
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| HENRY J (US) 1950-1954 | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Feb 7 2009, 11:33 AM (770 Views) | |
| DaWeber | Feb 7 2009, 11:33 AM Post #1 |
Station Wagon
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HENRY J (US) 1950-1954 This compact size car was manufactured by Kaiser-Frazer Corporation. It was designed to appeal to the less expensive small car market and was powered by a Willys 4 cylinder engine. The chassis was shared with the limited edition Kaiser-Darrin fiberglass sports car and early Excalibur cars produced by Brooks Stevens. Bodywork was shared with the Allstate which was made exclusively for Sears-Roebuck distribution. The only basic differences between the 2 cars were the nameplates and grille modifications. It is suspected that this marque met its demise because Kaiser purchased Willys-Overland about the same time. Willys was also producing the Aero ( another compact sized car) at that time. There is no doubt that the Aero was more eyeappealing in style. The only small scale models available of the Henry J are the two that were made by Hot Wheels. Neither is a good replica of the real car. The "Jaded" model in the regular line has many custom styling defects that detract from true replica status. Hot Wheels also introduced an enhanced casting in their collectable series previously ; but this is a radically modified body drag car and does not represent the car as it appeared on the highways in the 1950s! Edited by DaWeber, Feb 7 2009, 11:37 AM.
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| Sak | Feb 8 2009, 01:00 PM Post #2 |
Ezekiel 25:17
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It was the perfect sized family car, for postwar Europe. It was severely built to a price, though, and for not a heck of a lot more, you could get two more cylinders and a scoche more head and leg room in a new two-door Chevrolet. Collectible Automobile, in an article about the Henry J two decades ago, said that the car failed mainly because while some people may have been poor, they didn't wanna be reminded that they were poor, and nothing was more strippo than a Henry J. The Willys Aero was a nicely styled small car. It was well built, too. However, the shame is no one at that time was thinking small. |
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| James | Feb 9 2009, 04:06 PM Post #3 |
Mr.Bowtie
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Any background on the name "Henry J" it seems a strange name for a car, Howvere I have always liked the look of the henry J. neat front, nice lines, too bad it wasn't a success, and I would certainly love to see another version in diecast, a stock version or a gasser version. |
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| Sak | Feb 9 2009, 06:57 PM Post #4 |
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Ezekiel 25:17
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It's after Henry J. Kaiser, the shipping magnate who took his war profits and started Kaiser-Frazer in 1945. He was the one most responsible for the development of the car. He had dreams of marketing his own sort of Model T. Kaiser was far from the only one to harbor such delusions. Kaiser Motors ceased US operations in 1955; the tools were all moved down to Argentina. |
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| DaWeber | Feb 9 2009, 08:19 PM Post #5 |
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Station Wagon
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While Kaiser gained recognition in the shipbuilding industry, his partner Joseph Frazer was the former President of Graham- Paige Corp which had closed at the onslaught of WWII ! Also Kaiser was the company that built ships out of cocrete to serve as ocean going troop carriers ! |
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| ChFalkensteiner | Feb 9 2009, 10:07 PM Post #6 |
Subcompact
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1951 Henry J at the Automusa museum in Bergeijk, the Netherlands: This picture was taken by me in 2002. Sadly that museum does not exist anymore. |
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| Swifty | Feb 22 2009, 01:56 AM Post #7 |
The Mustang II is a Mustang too!
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