Customs Anybody have one of these 49-51 Kaiser Vagabond?

Just saw this on another website. Looks cool!

 

@hudson48 please pick up the white courtesy phone.

 

My Dad had one of these in the early fifties. I was 3 or 4 years old. Nice looking car but it was very hard to start when it was cold. The only car I ever saw him kick.

Note the spare tire was accessed via the left rear door.

 

I actually prefer the '52-'53 models; much better looking.

 

Be a great car if you were 65 yrs younger

 

Dad had a Frazier Manhattan, a 47, he dropped a Cadillac with a hydro in. Then he had a 52 Kaiser Manhattan, which I barely remember. They weren’t bad cars, but the lack of a better engine was the downfall. The vagabond was a cool idea.

 

This is what a corporation does when they can't afford to "tool-up" for a real station wagon.

(And adding a McCulloch supercharger to a Continental flathead 6 doesn't make it an OHV V8 either.)

 

In '58 or so my pal in Napa had a Manhattan with an Olds engine. 6 carbs on a log manifold sticking through a square hole in the hood. Shifting was accomplished with 2 vicegrips and required some care for the 1-2 shift. One had to be certain that the R-1 vicegrip was in neutral before engaging the 2-3 grip. Those were the days.

 

@tubman nice 51 Special there. Kaiser was actually working on an ohv V8. Got to the point of testing them.

 

European Kaiser were built here in the Rotterdam factory. "The Pride of Rotterdam".

 

I think they made them in Brazil until '61, if my memory serves me right.

 

The Wisconsin Auto Museum in Hartford, WI has a beautiful '50 Kaiser Vagabond on display. Well worth the trip if you are nearby: www.wisconsinautomuseum.com

 

Scott at Coldwar Motors has a Kaiser he occasionally uses as a daily driver, although his is the standard sedan and not a Vagabond.

 

I like this era of Kaiser, I was looking at one of these before I bought my '54 Nash. I could see that Traveler option being really useful for hauling **** around.

 

When I was a kid, my neighbor had a traveler in his backyard. Must have been in the same spot, under a tree for at least 20 years. Very interesting concept.

 

Dad use'to take me with him to the grand opening showing of new years car models,at dealer show room ! He liked seeing what was new< Even though when he really got a new car,he held off tell just before the new models came out=To a better deal on model they wanted to move out,for the newer models.
I remember seeing the new Vagabond,kind of cool ! As a kid,I super liked that some of the dealerships for grand showing of new model,would also give us kids a toy car model of new model,along with hotdogs,popcorn n drinks.

 

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