Vagabond. Google it and the definition that pops up isn’t the most flattering: a person (tramp; vagrant) who wanders aimlessly from place to place without a home or job. I first heard that word as a kid watching The Three Stooges. An uppity lady scolded Moe, Larry, and Curley, and called them “disgraceful vagabonds” for starting a pie fight at her high-society dinner party. (The Stooges also portrayed extremely inept plumbers in their 1949 comedy short entitled “Vagabond Loafers.”) And speaking of 1949 and vagabonds, here’s one of the more unusual and rare (only 946 built) vehicles produced that model year: the 1949 Frazier Vagabond. It had a novel hatchback that when folded out, blurred the lines between a sedan, a pickup truck, and a station wagon. In fact, their advertising stated that the Frazier Vagabond (and its twin, the Kaiser Traveler) led double lives and could convert from “smart sedan to pick-up van in 10 seconds.” Internal sales literature also positioned the new Vagabond as making their competitors’ station wagons obsolete since they offered a ten-foot load bed for hundreds of dollars less than a Ford or Chevy Station Wagon). This rare vehicle is listed for sale here on BF Classifieds. The Vagabond has wandered to Middletown, Connecticut, where a seller is asking $7,900. You can view over 400 photos of the Vagabond on the seller’s Auto Archeologist website.
The wooden slats on the back of the rear seat, cargo area, and tail gate definitely gives a Vagabond a pickup feel. Print advertisements showed the versatile vehicle hauling everything from crates of produce to livestock. One thing the ads didn’t tell you was where the spare tire was located. There’s no storage available under the cargo area, so the spare is mounted to the inside of the rear driver’s side door. It’s a “dummy door” that doesn’t open, but you wouldn’t know it from the outside. So, in essence, it’s a three-door sedan.
The car lived its entire life in the Pacific Northwest and was last registered and driven in Bellingham, Washington in 1962. It was then parked in a garage until about three years ago when it wandered its way across country to Connecticut. Overall, the exterior looks good for a 74-year-old car that sat for 60 years. The Vagabond left the factory originally painted in Flax, a beige color, and was repainted at some time in its current Bermuda Tan. The paint is faded, has some chips, and is in okay condition. There’s some rust showing on the rocker panels and in the cargo area but nothing major in the tin worm department. The bumpers have some rust showing, and the chrome, trim, and glass are presentable. The seller says he tires are in good shape but are of an unknown age, and the “cop spotlight” still works.
Great-looking 40’s-era interiors were a trademark of Kaiser-Frazier cars, and this Vagabond is no exception. I hope the next owner likes the color brown, because there’s a lot of it along with all of that beautiful chrome trim. The front seat has been reupholstered (and doesn’t match the original attractive ribbed-vinyl upholstery of the rear seat), the cool, large steering wheel is showing some age, and there’s no floor coverings in the front. The door panels look very good and features a unique push button release, and the gorgeous dash and instrument panel, along with the headliner, are in great shape. The cargo area has definitely been used as intended. The wooden slats are all there, but look weathered.
The Vagabond is powered by the dependable 226-cubic inch straight-six engine. It’s rated at 112 horsepower and is showing 47,000 miles on the clock. It’s mated to a three-speed Borg-Warner column-mounted manual transmission (that could also be found in Studebakers, Nashes and other cars of the era). When taken out of 60 years of storage, the seller says the engine was stuck, the gas tank was rusty, and the car had no brakes. After an oil soaking, the pistons were freed up and the engine turned over. The seller says the car drives very well and the “3-on-the-tree” transmission shifts smoothly. On the highway, the overdrive lets you cruise easily at 60-70 mph. New items listed include a replaced gas tank, fuel pump, some fuel lines, brake lines and master cylinder, and the muffler and tail pipe. With a $7,900 asking price, this appears to be a good opportunity to own a very rare car that’s in good, driver-quality condition. What do you think? Have you ever seen America’s first hatchback at any car shows?
Just want to make sure everyone knows I – AutoArcheologist – am not a dealer. I love old cars, I find old cars (Lost Automotive souls) and I help the owners sell them. I don’t own the cars I post for sale and the sale is between the owner of the car and the buyer.
You can read the how and why I do it at:
http://www.autoarcheologist.com/about.html
Thank you Ron for bringing her to light from the Barn Finds classifieds section.
Dave, thank you for clarifying your role. I’ve have edited the article to reflect that you are not a dealer. And, thank you for what you do. Like me, you love old cars (and love old car stories even better).
Very nice. Being a wagon nut. I wish you were a little closer. I’d definitely grab it. Going just by picture it seems a very fair price.
In my opinion it’s way more collectable than the crazy overpriced “muscle car” clan.
Great website companion to BF.Everyone ought to subscribe :)
I would love to own this. Thank the auto gods I live on the other side of the country and have no money to spend on another car :)
Hey Mountain!
Thank you!
You just may be the reason I’ve seen a large uptick in subscriber requests 👍😉
I love what I do and the great people and cars that I get to meet.
It’s ‘Frazer’.
Your website does not work.
Is the 1949 Kaiser Vagabon still for sale. Price
Hi Bob,
My old site was being phased out, had to make a new one.
The main site is still http://www.AutoArcheologist.com, but brings you to the new site.
The new direct link to the Vagabond is:
https://autoarcheologist.com/1949-kaiser-vagabond
Full description, 400+ photos, videos and price are there.
Any questions, please contact me directly via my website.
Thanks for the interest!
I believe the company was Kaiser Frazer, but the cars them selves would have been labeled either Kaiser or Frazer. So this was a Frazer Vagabond or a Kaiser Traveler. There is a leer “I” in Kaiser, but none in “Frazer”.
During the years 49-50 there were 2 versions of this Kaiser hatchback. The Kaiser Special “Traveler”, 19954 built, and the Kaiser Deluxe “Vagabond”, 4476 built.
This car has both names on it. The hood has a Kaiser Logo and the interior shows the Kaiser name and logo, however, the hood ornament has the Frazer name on it.
The hood ornament is not original to the car. It was made for the Frazer. Someone added it later.
This is actually a Kaiser Traveler, and not a Frazer Vagabond. It has the Kaiser grill and front emblem with the big “K”, and clearly states across the tailgate hinge “Kaiser” in block letters. Calling it a Kaiser-Frazer Vagabond is about as correct as calling another example a General Motors Pontiac Belair.
Its a Kaiser Vagabond. The Frazer Vagabond was 1951 only
I like.
I own a 1950 Kaiser Traveler. These are awsome cars and a true piece of Automotive History. I take first place at every car show i enter. Mine is one of eighteen in existence. This looks like a great frame off project. Great price, wish I lived closer.
Love yours. It must have some power. https://barnfinds.com/the-original-hatchback-1950-kaiser-traveler/
I recently acquired a 49 Kaiser 4 door sedan “parts car” although it is relatively straight and rust free. I haven’t been able to get $500. dollars for it, or $300. for it without the tires and wheels I put on it to roll it around. Hopefully someone speaks up before it has to be turned into scrap metal. Sadly the 1949 to 54 cars were about as ugly as any years made until you get past 1972.
Unfortunately, no one is looking for Kaisers anymore. You may have to hang onto it for awhile.
You might get some argument on that last sentence …
Wrong. There were two versions the ’49 hatchback: The Traveler was the standard version, the Vagabond was the deluxe version. Both were Kaiser marques. The only time there was a Frazer Vagabond was in 1951 and they were completely different. This is a Kaiser Vagabond that someone at some point installed the Frazer accessory hood ornament on.
I’d always understood the ’51 Frazers to be carried over from 1950 while the Kaisers were redesigned, so that a ’51 Frazer Vagabond would be very much like this car, since the pre-51 Kaisers and Frazers were nearly identical.
I really like em both. Only reason I dont have one is no inside storage & these deserve it ! Would need some of the ephemera that matches – the early post war sketches are really great for these (gloves, heels, those 40s pocketbooks, dresses for the women; men w/hats’n era coats, of course 3, 4 kids’n the dog).
Y does the wood look like that? it’s not in the weather… I’d remove’n paint the inside back, then throw down one of the thick rubber mats or paint w/colored bed liner. I’d also put some time in on a back-of-frnt-seat-protecter. I’d sleep back there, easier’n ina wagon cuz U can sit up (like the van). Whata icon!
Looks a lot like a 23rd series Packard sedan. Very interesting car. I love it.
we have a 47 kaiser fraizer;its rust free and runs great;need to paint it and do interior;cant wait to get it done;everything works;its a beast;
we have a 47 kaiser fraizer;its rust free and runs great;need to paint it and do interior;cant wait to get it done;everything works;its a beast;
They are truely a blast and everyone turns their heads when you go by. i love my 50
There was a Kaiser Vagabond that used to come to our orphan car shows in north Texas. Magnificent car with all that stained and lacquered wood in back. Haven’t seen the car or the guy in several years.
My father had a ’47 Kaiser, but since I was only 5 years old, I don’t remember too much about it other than it was a 4 door sedan. He traded it in on a ’53 Kaiser Manhattan. THAT I do remember, it was a Black and White 4 door with a Continental tire on the back. Parents took my younger brother and me to Florida on Christmas break in ’55 and somebody stole the Continental kit when we stayed at a “tourist cabin” around Fort Myers. My father did like both of those cars, but traded again in ’57 for a Dodge Coronet.
Cool, as interesting as the old Woodie wagons.
A cool car in an awful color. It’s a good thing it’s on the opposite end of the state from me. Last thing I need is another project.
Kaiser was a force of nature, a real media rock star because of his manufacturing abilities during WW2, and after, Like Elon Musk today,but without the pot.
Epstein Client Elon wishing he stuck with just pot instead of walking through the Maralago Secret Epstein Tunnel. Is what you meant to say.
I may have mentioned this in another posting but I remember seeing one at the Indanapolis new car show that had a motor that opened and closed the Traveler feature constantly. I can still hear the clacking.
Great car the kaiser my first car was a 1949 kaiser traveler got it when I was 14 of my grandparents farm I’m sixty now I still have it it was bought new for connel Washington used as a ambulance still has the ariganal writing on the doors twenty five thousand ariganal miles rust free if had about fifty different cars over the years I cept the kaiser traveler Fraser he bought a Kaiser to surprise her a fraiser to amaze her and a tucker to …. lol 😂
That is a cool feature! I like it, alot.
Very interesting old relic that deserves another ride on the roads. I’m going to flush all the fluids and update to fuel injection with CDI ignition and do some mpg analysis. It’s probably as good or better than most modern mini vans. Would be a great ride for catering or bakery vendors with some logos.