Rare 1954 Kaiser Darrin (w/ startup)

A rare red 1954 Kaiser Darrin, one of 441 Darrins (six prototypes and 435 production cars) built, arriving at and leaving the 2022 San Marino Motor Classic at Lacy Park. Built by Kaiser and based on the Kaiser Henry J, the Darrin featured fiberglass roadster bodywork designed by Howard "Dutch" Darrin with a three-position Landau top and doors that slide into the front fender wells. It was powered by a 2.6-liter Willys F-Head inline-six engine producing 90 horsepower.

A fun fact about the Kaiser Darrin - The initial prototype was built by Darrin without Kaiser's knowledge, and Kaiser stood in strong opposition to the car until his wife fell in love with its beauty and convinced him otherwise. The Darrin's "kiss me" front end may be controversial, but I think it fits well with its sensual shape, and the car would look right at home in front of a '50s diner next to a contemporary Corvette or Thunderbird. Plus, those disappearing sliding doors are pretty darn cool (though they proved to be both impractical and difficult to maintain). Ultimately the car was commercially unsuccessful largely due to its high price and underwhelming performance. But I'm glad Kaiser listened to his wife and took the leap of faith that resulted in this rare and beautiful piece of American motor history.

Would you choose a Kaiser Darrin over a contemporary Corvette or Thunderbird? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!