1954 Kaiser Darrin

This 1954 Kaiser Darrin is one of 435 production examples built for a single model year, and it was first purchased by the seller approximately 35 years ago as a project out of a barn. It was repainted in its factory white and sold before it was repurchased by the seller in 1999. Power comes from a 161ci F-head inline-six paired with a three-speed manual transmission with overdrive, and equipment includes red leather upholstery and a color-matched three-position soft top as well as 15″ steel wheels with chrome wire covers, sliding doors that retract into the body, and plexiglass wind wings. This Darrin 161 is now offered in Scottsdale, Arizona, with side curtains, an owner’s manual, service records, and a Washington title. The Darrin roadster was designed by California-based coachbuilder Howard “Dutch” Darrin and was among the first American production cars to feature fiberglass bodywork. This example was delivered from the factory in Champagne White (153) and was repainted in its factory color under the seller’s ownership approximately 30 years ago. Styling includes sliding doors that retract into the body as well as a chrome grille, bumpers with overriders, turn signals, a fender-mounted mirror, plexiglass wind wings, and separate decklids for the top and trunk. The red three-position soft top with color-matched side curtains and chrome landau bars is shown raised above. The black-painted steel wheels wear chrome wire hubcaps, and they are mounted with BFGoodrich Silvertown bias-ply wide-whitewall tires. A spare wheel is stowed under a cover in the trunk. The Darrin frame and suspension were based on the contemporary Henry J, and the car features an independent front suspension and a live rear axle with leaf springs. Braking is handled by four-wheel drums sourced from the contemporary Kaiser Manhattan. Replacement rubber brake lines were installed in September 2019. The seats, door panels, transmission tunnel, and dashboard are trimmed in red leather, while color-matched carpets line the footwells and trunk. Features include a padded dashboard, a cigar lighter, an ashtray, and a dash-mounted rearview mirror. The white two-spoke steering wheel features a chrome horn ring and frames a 120-mph speedometer, a 6k-rpm tachometer, and gauges for oil pressure, fuel level, coolant temperature, and amperage. The five-digit odometer shows under 17k miles, approximately 10k of which were added under the seller’s ownership. The 161ci Hurricane F-head inline-six was factory rated at 90 horsepower and features a downdraft carburetor, a low-profile air cleaner, and a six-into-one cast-iron exhaust manifold. An oil service was last performed in September 2019. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual transmission with overdrive. The Washington title carries a classic brand.