I’m familiar with Kaiser Motors and its previous iteration of Kaiser-Fraser, but I have to admit, somewhere along the line, I missed out on the Kaiser “Dragon,” such as this 1953 edition. Our subject is one of only 1,277 Dragons assembled and is claimed to be one of 33 finished in Maroon Velvet (not sure how that’s determined). This very unusual sedan can be found in Osakis, Minnesota, and it’s listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $20,800. Many thanks are due to Zappenduster for this great discovery!
Tom Halter from Curbside Classic gives us some insight into the Kaiser Dragon, telling us, “The story goes that in 1951 Carleton Spencer was looking to make an upscale Kaiser model to fill the hole created by the pending discontinuation of the Frazer Manhattan, K-F’s then top-of-the-line model. Spencer collaborated with one of Kaiser’s suppliers to come up with an alligator-patterned (and textured) vinyl for use in this new model. Kaiser called the interior upholstery “Dragon skin,” lest prospective buyers think it was made from the skin of an actual alligator.” No Dragon edition was offered in ’52, but it reappeared in ’53 as its own model, based on the smaller “Deluxe” series. Other dragon features included a textured vinyl top, gold colored badging and trim, and “tiki” patterned cloth and vinyl upholstery – how odd! As stated earlier, it was not a successful sales endeavor. Actually, Kaiser, in general, was running out of runway in ’53 as it came in sixteenth out of eighteen places in the Great Domestic Auto Production Race with just 45K units in total. The seller of this Dragon states, “(it) has been well preserved in a dry garage for many years. It shows 77,xxx miles.” The exterior images are few and not very revealing, but what can be seen appears to be sound, and of course, being a Kaiser, it possesses the distinctive “Widow’s Peak” windshield treatment. The body looks aligned and straight, with complete trim, though the chrome bits’ plating is starting to go thin. Note the original wheelcovers, adorned with a large central “K”; I imagine trying to find one of these today would be a search and a half.
This interior image shows degraded seat upholstery, but the previously referenced “tiki” pattern is still evident – and that treatment is also reflected in the door panels. I imagine trying to reproduce such an unusual pattern would be quite a challenge! The padded dash and instrument panel still show well, with the heavily chromed accents a hallmark of cars from this era. The floor is carpeted, but the image doesn’t accurately reveal its true condition. The seller claims all Dragons had factory A/C, but I see no evidence of that either in the engine compartment or an interior vent network.
An 118 gross HP, 226 CI, inline, flathead six-cylinder engine constitutes “dragon” power, and the seller adds, “It does run, and I have no reason to believe it wouldn’t drive because it was running and driving when it was parked. Plugs and coil replaced last year.” I was expecting to find a three-speed manual transmission, but the seller states that all Dragons employed GM’s Hydramatic unit.
I’ve got a thing for fallen flags, and unfortunately, we’ve encountered many more since Kaiser went kaput so many years ago. And Kaiser, in particular, had a surprisingly short run as auto manufacturers go. I question what Kaiser was trying to accomplish with this peculiar Dragon model. Whatever the plan was, I’m glad they went through with it; one does not encounter automotive oddities like this today.
Time marches on, and nothing is exempt from that relentless march; fortunately, there are still barn finds like this rare Dragon to remind us of what we once had, automotively speaking. If you’re interested in this Kaiser sedan, please read the listing in its entirety; the seller has done a fine job of giving us the 411 on this uncommon sedan. So, show of hands, please, who’s familiar with the Kaiser Dragon?
Nice find. But at the price — and, as a former three-time Kaiser owner, I really like these cars — you’d be deep underwater if you attempt to restore it.
The interior, most specifically, will be almost impossible. Carleton Spencer used unique fabrics for most Kaisers, and the Dragon heads the list. Good luck finding matching (or even close) replacements. Ditto for the “Dragon Vinyl:” that was amazingly long-wearing, but again is unobtanium. The last two taillight lenses I bought came from Argentina, where Kaisers — but not Dragons — were built as “Carabelas” from 1955-58. As I recall, much of the bright trim on Dragons had a thin gold plating.
Mechanically, Kaiser restorers are better off. They used mainly off-the-shelf parts (though, last time I tried, rebuild parts for the four-speed Hydro — a wonderful, smooth-shifting transmission — had virtually disappeared). An old-timer auto parts store clerk directed to me buy gaskets and other bits from certain Case tractor models when I did an engine rebuild. It worked. IIRC, brakes were either Ford or Mercury (don’t remember which).
There’s no doubt in my mind Kaisers were much better cars than many today believe them to be, well worth keeping going and, when possible, restoring. I should never have sold mine, and many times wished I could have given it the full restoration it deserved..
The problem is nobody is looking for these 5k would be more like it