Kaiser-Frazer was hanging on by a financial thread in 1949. Its immediate post-war production found ready homes, but almost anything would have sold after the war so indulging in bragging was a hollow conceit. As 1947 turned to 1948, the company faced an onslaught of fresh styles from the Big Three, and its fortunes plummeted. Dealers were clamoring for new models. With no development money on tap, Kaiser opted to cut the trunk lid of its sedan in half horizontally so it opened like a clam-shell; combined with a fold-down rear seat, this space could be used to carry cargo, just like a wagon. The new car was called the Traveler. It was paired with an upscale trim variant called the Vagabond. The two sold about 24,000 copies in 1949, the first year of production. But enthusiasm waned quickly as customers complained about poor weather sealing around the trunk closure, and the odd arrangement of a welded left-hand rear door, used to mount the spare. Zappenduster found this 1949 Traveler for us on facebook Marketplace. The seller is asking $2500 (firm!), the engine does run, and its new owner can retrieve it from Marion, Illinois.
Aside from the practical complaints about water leaks and inhibited access to the rear seat, the car was underpowered. Its 226 cu. in. flathead six produced about 100 hp; those poor ponies were lugging around a car that weighed almost 3500 lbs. The Chevy Fleetline also sported a six, but it weighed less than 3200 lbs. It cost a lot less too. Meanwhile, Oldsmobile had come to market with the Rocket V8, offering a lot more power, and Ford’s ’49 “shoebox” was selling like hotcakes. Kaiser-Frazer limped into the 1950s unable to engineer an upturn in sales; in only a few more years, Frazer split with Kaiser, and the remaining company was merged mostly out of existence. This example is equipped with “three on the tree”, and as noted the engine runs but one brake line is broken, so no driving it home!
Here’s that rear cargo area, exhibiting plenty of rust thanks to the imperfect weather seal. The Vagabond had wooden rub strips inside the clamshell doors, pleated vinyl upholstery and other niceties. A few other special-trim, later production Travelers were produced – one was called the Manhattan, while another was the Virginian – but in the process, the slope of the trunk changed so the car’s shape became a teardrop. The resulting reduction in cargo space defeated the “utility” part of this sedan and sales plunged. The model was discontinued by 1954.
I’ve seen worse interiors on far newer cars. This steering wheel needs refinishing, the floors – ditto. That missing door panel is in the back seat. But the seats are fine, and the dash is tolerable. This Traveler might have been painted Horizon Blue at one point – a snazzy combination with the tobacco upholstery.
Rust is present on the lower quarters all ’round, and it’s infected the fit of the trunk lid too. If you’re tempted by this rare Traveler, join the Kaiser-Frazer Owners Club and hang out at the forum for a while. Looks like the club itself isn’t very active, with an event calendar dated 2023, but the forum is receiving inquiries every day. This Traveler is not your typical ’40s sedan; I hope it finds a sympathetic home.
There was 1949 Kaiser vagabond for sale on classiccars a little while back asking $7,900 obo it was all original with Bermuda tan for the exterior color, I’d get this type of sedan over one with a normal trunk.
$2500 and it runs! Easy to fix single circuit drum brakes. Check the steering, suspension and tires while you got the wheels off. Get after the rust on the weekends drive and have fun!
Those engines were sourced Continental Red Seal engines, as Kaiser/Frazer did not build their own. They were originally designed to work in combines. Tough pieces to be sure.
You’re mostly wrong here Terry. Yes, KF sourced the engines from Continental for the initial production cars. But it wasn’t soon later that Kaiser purchased tooling and rights to build the engine and from then on all the Kaiser 226 engines were built by KF in their own plant. Also, under the KF engineering, those engines were modified, upgraded and refined, from the Continental design. These engines were also used in Jeeps, and continuing well after the automobile production went to Argentina, eventually Kaiser-Willys converted the same engine to a over head cam design.
I think the Continental six was the Graham six from the 30’s. It was made by Continental because Graham didn’t have a foundry. Joe Frazer was president of Graham and wanted to make cars after WWll, but the Graham brothers were done with the car business. So he teamed up with Henry Kaiser to form K-F.
There was a rich guy who was dating this girl. He bought her a Frazer, he wanted to amaze her. A couple weeks later he bought her a Kaiser, he wanted to surprise her. A couple weeks after that he bought her a Tucker.
I’ve got one of these, a 1950 model. It’s in worse shape than this one, but I may buy this one and put them together to make one good one.
Firewall is usually painted body color, so if it matters to potential buyer looks likee this one was originally gray like mine.
I’ve got a dry Montana parts car for $400. Sadly no one wants it but the scrap price will come up one of these days. I’ve had it on eBay for 2 years now with no success.
When I first seen the picture I thought it was a old plymouth
“…Tucker, because he was really stuck on her.”
Will somebody please tell Facebook that their new format for viewing marketplace items absolutely sucks? You cannot skip from image to image but miust go back to micro views then magnify them. Is there some way of undoing this horror?
doesnt show it off to it’s best. I think there was a Hudson model like this as well. The backs open to reveal space all the way to the back of the frnt bench.
Cant find my pics or links right now or’d do my regular post (restored views).
Business coups (a different interior lay-out) could also store the whatnots gentlemen sold or convert to lay out one’s tired body.
The Nash airflytes were a 3rd interior style: a frnt bench could allow the back or top 1/2 to swing down level with the seat cushion. The back bench would do the same (fold down) and there would B room for a side by side (head near dash, feet in back seat) recline of 2 ppl.
It was Chrysler that has a similar model, not Hudson
‘Twas Stodgy and couldn’t stand up to the Studebaker line, even the ‘Big THree’ were caught off gaurd with the new Loewy design.
the 49 Stude was bizarre looking. they sold well enough , but probably because they were cheap. I’m sure the heads of the big three were having a good laugh when the 49 Studes came out
The Vagabond was the highest trim level in 1949.
I like it just for the price and the interior.
In the early 1990’s I was at a car show and a guy had a beautifully restored Kaiser with the bamboo covering on the dash and the engine looked new, because it was. He said he put in a Continental engine which they were still manufacturing for tractors or trucks. Since then, I got confused because he said that he bought the engine in Harrisburg, PA, but I knew that the Continental plant was near the Hudson plant in Detroit.
The typical Continental industrial engine wouldn’t work or be suitable for a Kaiser car, bamboo dash would be 1953, those Kaiser engines are redesigned, modified, very different from anything from Continental. If he put in a new engine, it was a Kaiser engine probably rebuilt.