Built by Kaiser-Frazer between 1951 and 1954, the Henry J was a little car before it was cool for cars to be little. Like the Ford Model T of decades prior, it was designed to be an inexpensive automobile that about everyone could own and was named after the chairman of the company. This 1951 copy is said to run with coaxing and has newer paint and interior components. Located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, this orange project is available here on eBay where the bidding has only reached $2,025. Hats off to Barn Finder Larry D for this discovery.
In the years following World War II, there was pent-up demand for automobiles, but supply caught up with that demand by the early 1950s. So smaller companies like Kaiser-Frazer were on the prowl for new ideas to stay relevant among a sea of cars offered by GM, Ford, and Chrysler. Frazer’s idea for the Henry J must have struck a responsive chord in Washington as a government loan would back up the development of the car. At first modestly popular, the Henry J sold 80,000 copies out of the gate, but sales slowed quickly after that and were a trickle by the end of 1953. The car was then retired and most 1954 Henry J’s were built in 1953 with 130,000 of the little autos produced in total.
We surmise that this Henry J has been sitting for a while, yet someone put some time and money into it earlier. The seats have been redone in what doesn’t look like the fabric of the day and we doubt that bright orange was one of the colors offered by old Henry in 1951. The front bumper is missing, but it looks like that may be by design.
The seller has been stung once before in trying to sell this car, so he/she is adamant that if you bid on it, you pay for it. Space must be at a premium so the car has to go, and no reserve has been set to help ensure that it does. The Henry J will start and drive around the lot, but it probably needs a tune-up. Old gas was removed and replaced by new, but that didn’t fix its drivability. We’re told the brakes and clutch work, so perhaps only minimal attention is otherwise needed. You could turn this into a gasser or some sort of hot rod, as the seller suggests, or just leave it as is. When was the last time you saw a glow-in-the-dark Henry J?
Nice. When was the last time you saw one essentially unmolested?
Ignorant to remove the bumper. The sheet metal is rare. Plus it looks real dumb [same thing with 74-77 Matador two doors].
Perfect hobby car in the era of exploding gas prices.
Cute car. Looks like somebody was trying to build something it isn’t. Orange paint, front bumper removed, tail lights moved in and original locations filled. Should have spent the money on the power train and detailing under the hood then carry on with the rest.
Just my opinion.
Those are the original tail lights.
If I had more room (we have six cars now), I’d buy this just for the nostalgia. My first car ride was coming home from the hospital in a fairly new one of these in January of ’52.
Back in the 60’s a local hot rodder nick named “Lizard”, put a 389 tri-power with 4 speed in one of these with a ford straight axel. All he had to do was punch the gas a little and it pulled the front wheels off the ground. Cops made him take it off the road because the headlights were to high from factory spec. So it lived at the drags instead.
Looks like a ‘clown car’. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)
What was it ? Last week there was a Henry J listed ? This one looks tempting !
The previous car was not as complete as this one.
D*mmit, I am too old to buy another car, I guess I will have to keep working on my TR4, and stick with my British car disease.
GLWTS !! Whoever buys it !!!
This is one sweet ride. Always Love Henry “J”s I’m keeping this one on watch. Might be amking a trip to West By God Virginia.
Me and my brother looked at one in 1984 purple V8chevy, original front suspension,9in rear, think they wanted 1200.
The interior photos are from Copart?
This is the first time I’ve seen a Henry J that was not a drag car.
Were these built at the Kaiser shipyards in Richmond, CA?
I see Ford used that facility after the wartime-use of building tanks and jeeps there.
Build a Merc flathead for it, put a T5 trans behind it and you would have a cool little family driver. I know of one that the dealer took home when it was new and it almost never left the garage. I think his kid has it now. Also a guy I knew had a younger brother that had one given to him in the early sixties by the lady whose grass he mowed, she left it to him in her will. He restored it years ago and his family still has it.