Identification No. 3495435

Engine No. 3495464

Body No. 1621-1325

The Kaiser-Darrin had its genesis in a fiberglass roadster design study, styled by the renowned Classic Era automobile designer Howard "Dutch" Darrin with his trademark elan, including the distinctive "Darrin dip" behind the sweeping front doors. Along with the tapered nose extending to a tiny rosebud grille that one wag commented "looked like it was ready to give you a kiss," those doors were the car's most distinctive feature. They slid in and out of the front fenders, rather than opening into the street, a design that Darrin felt was safer for passengers and pedestrians alike.

Darrin had built the car on the basis of Kaiser-Frazer's pioneering compact car, the Henry J, without Henry J. Kaiser's approval. As the tale is told, when Kaiser saw the prototype, he was angered by its creation and said that he had no intention of building a sports car – until his young wife commented that it was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen. Soon the Kaiser-Darrin was in production as a new "halo car" for the independent automaker, still based on Henry J engineering including an F-head six-cylinder engine. Like the original Corvette, it was a sporty boulevardier with style to spare. Just 435 copies were produced in a single season of production.

The example offered here is finished in its correct color of Yellow Satin with yellow upholstery, both matching the trim codes on the firewall tag, accompanied by 80/20 loop carpeting and a matching glass shifter ball, the latter a wonderful touch. Restored prior to the Gateway Automobile Museum's acquisition in 2010, it has a replacement serial number tag with a new identification number. At the time of cataloging, it exhibited only 373 miles, and aside from minor cracking in the steering wheel remains in very good overall condition, with nice chrome and tinted windshield glass. Wire wheels and hubcaps are a dressy touch, while Coker whitewall radial tires provide good roadability for driving. Accompanying are side curtains and a convertible top matching the body color, as well as a full-sized spare wheel and tire.

Few automobiles catch as much attention as the Kaiser-Darrin, one of the most memorable American sports cars, of which this is a worthy specimen.