56-412: The Kaiser Dragon is a car model based on the second-generation Kaiser that was manufactured by Kaiser Motors Corporation in 1953. The dragon name was first used in 1951 for a special trim option on Kaiser cars featuring vinyl upholstery claimed to resemble dragon skin. Kaiser introduced an all-new design by Howard "Dutch" Darrin for the 1951 model year with a longer, lower, and wider body featuring
112-579: A California-based industrialist, and Joseph W. Frazer , CEO of Graham-Paige, wanted to get into the automobile business and pooled their resources and talents to do so. Less than a year after Kaiser-Frazer's formation, the first Kaiser and Frazer branded automobiles were being produced at the Willow Run, Michigan, headquarters for both Kaiser-Frazer and Graham-Paige . By the end of 1946, over 11,000 cars (total Kaiser and Frazer) were shipped to dealers and distributors, many of which sold to end users. During
168-471: A U.S.-based, nonprofit, private operating foundation focusing on health care issues. Originally based in Oakland , California, it later moved to Menlo Park, California . At Kaiser's death, half of his fortune was left to the foundation. It was reorganized and restructured in 1991, under CEO Drew Altman. The Foundation, not associated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries , operates independently as
224-409: A car-starved public, the company did not have the resources to survive long-term competition with the " Big Three " domestic automakers. The original Kaiser-Frazer design was distinctive and fresh, but the company could not maintain the price point for long-term success. However, the company's problems started as early as 1948. That year, Joseph Frazer resigned as president of Kaiser-Frazer, but stayed in
280-559: A new holding company encompassing the various Kaiser industrial activities. Kaiser Motors' name was changed to Kaiser Industries Corporation, and it functioned as a holding company for various Kaiser business holdings, including Willys Motors Incorporated. While U.S. production of Kaiser and Willys passenger cars ceased in 1955, production of Willys Jeeps in Toledo, Ohio, continued. Kaiser continued automobile production in Argentina under
336-588: A surplus Ford Motor Company defense plant at Willow Run , Michigan originally built for WWII aircraft production by Ford. Kaiser-Frazer (later Kaiser Motors ) produced cars under the Kaiser and Frazer names until 1955, when it abandoned the U.S. market and moved production to Argentina . The first K-F models were designed by Howard "Dutch" Darrin and these went from non-existent to number eight in new car sales within two years. Although still producing Jeep vehicles, Kaiser-Willys ceased production of passenger cars in
392-800: A think tank, making facts and analysis available to policymakers, health care groups, the media and the general public. As a real-estate magnate, Kaiser founded the Honolulu suburban community of Hawaiʻi Kai in Hawaiʻi . Kaiser also financed the development of Panorama City , a planned community in the San Fernando Valley portion of Los Angeles. Schools were named in his honor in Hawaii , West Virginia, and California . Kaiser spent many of his later years in Honolulu and developed an obsession with perfecting its urban landscape. He built
448-588: The California Shipbuilding Corporation . At Kaiser Shipyards in Richmond, California , Kaiser implemented the pioneering idea of Sidney Garfield for a prepaid hospital financing plan. Opened on August 10, 1942, Kaiser Richmond Field Hospital for Kaiser Shipyards was financed by the U.S. Maritime Commission, sponsored by Henry J. Kaiser's Permanente Foundation, and run by Garfield. In part because of wartime materials rationing,
504-575: The Hoover Dam and Grand Coulee Dam . Kaiser is also noted for advancing medicine with the development and construction of hospitals, medical centers and medical schools. The mining town of Eagle Mountain, California , built as part of the West Coast's first integrated mining/processing operation, and linked by rail to his mill in Fontana, California , was an early user of Kaiser Permanente ,
560-619: The Industrias Kaiser Argentina (IKA) company established in Santa Isabel, Córdoba and Willys passenger cars moved to Brazil under the Willys-Overland do Brasil company, using the U.S. dies, well into the 1960s. The company changed its name to Kaiser Jeep in 1963. By 1969, Kaiser Industries decided to leave the auto business, which was sold to American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1970. As part of
616-469: The Kaiser Shipyard in Richmond, California ; during World War II adapting production techniques to enable building cargo ships with an average construction time of 45 days. These ships became known as Liberty ships and were later supplemented in the mid-war period by improved, larger and faster Victory ships . He became world-renowned when his teams built a ship in four days. The keel for
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#1732801751331672-537: The Pacific and the Atlantic theaters. The concepts that he developed for the mass production of commercial and naval ships are still in use. One problem with welded hulls that was unknown is the issue of brittle fracture . That caused the loss of some Liberty ships in cold seas as the welds failed and the hulls would crack, sometimes completely into two. Constance Tipper was one of the first people to discover why
728-634: The 10,500-ton SS Robert E. Peary was laid on Sunday, November 8, 1942, and the ship was launched in California from the Richmond Shipyard#2 on Thursday, November 12, four days and 15 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours later. The previous record had been ten days for the Liberty ship Joseph M. Teal . A visit to a Ford assembly plant by one of his associates led to a decision to use welding instead of riveting for shipbuilding. Welding
784-518: The 1947 and 1948 Kaiser and Frazer as well as the 1951 Kaiser automobiles. The vehicle went into production during January 1954. It was sold as the Kaiser Darrin . Production of the Allstate ended in 1953. The last Henry J automobiles were built in late 1953 as 1954 model year cars. The sports car was in production only during the 1954 model year. While sales were initially strong because of
840-654: The 1952 model year. The deal was contingent on Olds expanding its Lansing, MI, engine production facility. Still, that expansion was canceled due to military needs for the Korean War. K-F had their own V8 engine development program that ran through 1949 but, as the lead engineers on the team stated to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) they found their work was leading down a "blind alley" and would fail. Due to changing market conditions, Frazer cars were not as competitive as luxury and upper-medium priced models. This
896-532: The Dragon's 118 hp (88 kW) 226.2 cu in (3.7 L) I6 engine. Along with being more expensive, Dragon's 0-60 mph time was 15 seconds. A total of 1,277 were sold. Kaiser Motors Kaiser Motors (formerly Kaiser-Frazer ) Corporation made automobiles at Willow Run , Michigan , United States, from 1945 until 1953. In 1953, Kaiser merged with Willys-Overland to form Willys Motors Incorporated, moving its production operations to
952-492: The Field Hospital was a single-story wood-frame structure designed in a simple modernist mode. Originally intended for use primarily as an emergency facility, the Field Hospital opened with only 10 beds. Later additions had increased its capacity to 160 beds by 1944. Kaiser's Richmond Field Hospital served as the mid-level component of a three-tier medical care system that included six well-equipped First Aid Stations at
1008-614: The Henry J models that Kaiser-Frazer dealers were selling, the cars were in the Sears catalog, but the cars could not be purchased by mail order. At the 1953 New York Auto Show, Kaiser-Frazer announced it would produce a fiberglass-bodied sports car called the Kaiser-Darrin-Frazer 161 . The car featured a 161 cu in (2.6 L) straight six-cylinder engine. It was designed by stylist Howard "Dutch" Darrin , who also did
1064-676: The Kaiser Hawaiian Village Hotel, today known as the Hilton Hawaiian Village , and used bright pink Jeeps as resort transportation. Kaiser constructed one of the first commercially practical geodesic domes in the United States at this resort and used it as a theater. In the mid-1950s, Kaiser was convinced that television could make Kaiser brand products known to the public. In 1957 Kaiser partnered with Warner Brothers and ABC to sponsor
1120-555: The Kaiser Industries Corporation since 1956. One of Kaiser's grandsons, Edgar Kaiser Jr. , became president of Kaiser Steel from 1981 to 1984, and briefly owned the Denver Broncos NFL franchise. Another grandson, Henry , is an Antarctic diver and experimental guitarist. Kaiser was involved in building civic centers, roads, and schools. He was part of the consortium that constructed
1176-424: The Kaiser family itself has had no connection with Kaiser Permanente . In 1945, Kaiser partnered with veteran automobile executive Joseph Frazer to establish a new automobile company from the remnants of Graham-Paige , of which Frazer had been president. Frazer was a respected auto sales executive and was noted for Chrysler's market penetration during the 1930s. The new company was named Kaiser-Frazer . It used
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#17328017513311232-606: The Liberty ships were breaking into two. Minor changes in design and more rigid welding control implemented in 1947 eliminated Liberty ship losses until 1955. By his membership in a group called the Six Companies , Kaiser also had a major role in the Joshua Hendy Iron Works of Sunnyvale, California , which built the EC-2 triple expansion steam engines for the Liberty ships. Kaiser and his associates organized
1288-523: The U.S. after the 1955 model year. They continued producing Kaiser Carabela sedans, identical to the 1955 Kaiser U.S. sedans, in Argentina until 1961. He built the Kaiser Superbus (1946, scrapped 1951) 60 feet in length with room for 63 seated passengers, and two restrooms, was constructed using magnesium, and aluminum. Only one prototype would be built. A small model used by Kaiser's sales team
1344-477: The U.S. government. The original facilities included reduction plants at Mead and Tacoma, and a rolling mill at Trentwood. Kaiser Aluminum expanded to become an integrated aluminum company, mining and refining bauxite and creation of alumina, the production of primary aluminum from alumina, and manufacturing fabricated and semi-fabricated aluminum products. In 1948, Kaiser established the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (also known as Kaiser Family Foundation ),
1400-655: The Willys plant at Toledo, Ohio , where the company continued to build automobiles under the Kaiser marque including the Kaiser Darrin until 1955. Their South American operations continued to build passenger cars well up into the 1960s. The company changed its name to Kaiser Jeep Corporation in 1963. The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was established in August 1945 as a joint venture between the Henry J. Kaiser Company and Graham-Paige Motors Corporation. Both Henry J. Kaiser ,
1456-596: The Willys-Overland Corporation, makers of Willys cars and Jeep vehicles. After completing the acquisition, Kaiser Manufacturing Corporation changed its name to Willys Motors, Incorporated. During late 1953 and 1954, Kaiser Motors operations at Willow Run Michigan were closed down or moved to the Willys facility in Toledo, Ohio. Kaiser-Frazer worked out deals with General Motors to purchase GM Hydramatic automatic transmissions and detuned Rocket 88 engines from Oldsmobile, with deliveries starting in
1512-544: The age of 16. He worked as an apprentice photographer early in life, and was running the studio in Lake Placid by the age of 20. He used his savings to move to Washington state in 1906, where he started a construction company fulfilling government contracts. Kaiser met his future wife, Bess Fosburgh, the daughter of a Virginia lumberman, when she came into his photographic shop in Lake Placid, New York , to buy film. Fosburgh's father demanded that Kaiser show that he
1568-450: The car was named after Kaiser. In 1953, Kaiser purchased Willys-Overland , manufacturer of the Jeep line of utility vehicles, changing its name to Willys Motors. In the late 1960s, Kaiser's South American operations were sold to a Ford- Renault combination. In 1963, the name was changed again to Kaiser-Jeep , which was ultimately sold to American Motors Corporation in 1970. As part of
1624-595: The first health maintenance organization . A class of 18 United States Navy fleet replenishment oilers built in the 1980s and 1990s is named the Henry J. Kaiser class . Its lead unit, USNS Henry J. Kaiser , the first U.S. Navy ship named for Kaiser, entered service with the Military Sealift Command on December 19, 1986. In 1990, Kaiser was made a member of the Labor Hall of Fame of
1680-536: The glove box. The Dragon models provided for a luxury feel with "almost 200 pounds (91 kilograms) of insulation to quiet the ride and give it a sense of additional heft." Front leg room was 45.1 in (1,146 mm), with rear leg room at 39.5 in (1,003 mm). Safety features were built in so Kaiser called it "the world's first safety first car" (even though the Tucker 48 , a car known for unique features, including safety items, came out five years earlier). Among
1736-457: The lowest beltline in U.S. car production at that time. Because Kaiser did not offer a V8 engine it focused marketing against the competition by introducing unique trim package for its Deluxe models in the late fall of 1950. A two-page color advertisement that ran in Life was one of the ways the 1951 Kaisers were announced with their redesigned bodies and a new vinyl upholstery option. The upholstery
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1792-523: The position as a "lame duck" until April 1949 when Henry J. Kaiser's oldest son, Edgar , took Frazer's place as president. This was partly because Frazer had warned Kaiser not to tool up to produce 200,000 cars for the 1949 model year, realizing they could not compete against the new cars from the Big Three coming out that year. Kaiser did not heed the warning, saying, "The Kaisers never retrench." A total of 58,000 cars were sold that year. The Frazer marque
1848-747: The process by constructing new shipyards using this concept. Other Kaiser shipyards were located in Ryan Point (Vancouver) on the Columbia River in Washington state and on Swan Island in Portland, Oregon . A smaller vessel was turned out in 71 hours and 40 minutes from the Vancouver yard on November 16, 1942. The Kaiser hulls also became America's smaller, more numerous " escort carriers ", over 100 small aircraft carriers employed in both
1904-497: The safety of their designs. Kaiser was involved in large construction projects such as civic centers and dams, and invested in real estate, later moving into television broadcasting. Kaiser was born on May 9, 1882, in Sprout Brook, New York , the son of Franz and Anna Marie (née Yops) Kaiser, ethnic German immigrants. His father was a shoemaker. Kaiser's first job was as a cash boy in a Utica, New York , department store at
1960-1083: The shipyards and the main Permanente Hospital in Oakland, where the most critical cases were treated. By August 1944, 92.2% of all Richmond shipyard employees had joined Kaiser Permanente, the first voluntary group plan in the country to feature group medical practice, prepayment, and substantial medical facilities on such a large scale. After the war, the Health Plan was expanded to include workers' families. To serve employees at his diverse businesses, Kaiser opened Permanente facilities in Walnut Creek, California ; Honolulu, Hawaii ; and many other locations. Since then, locations have opened in Hawaii; Dublin, California ; Livermore, California ; Pleasanton, California ; Martinez, California ; Santa Clara, California ; and Antioch, California . However,
2016-400: The special trim. Standard equipment included Hydramatic automatic transmission, power steering, electric clock, radio with rear speaker, front and rear center armrests, numerous courtesy lamps, heater, tinted glass, 14- karat gold plated hood ornament and fender nameplates, interior trim (including a nameplate on the glove box door that was personalized with the owner's name), and padding in
2072-507: The standard features were a full padded dash and recessed instruments, an extra large and pop-out windshield, a low center of gravity, steering designed for better control as well as brakes with "more stopping power" and special lighting for better visibility at night. These cars were expensive for the time at US$ 3,924 (equivalent to $ 44,687 in 2023) A comparable 1953 Buick Roadmaster was priced at $ 3,358 and came with 188 hp (140 kW) 322 cu in (5.3 L) V8 compared to
2128-513: The summer of 1948, the 300,000th car came off the production line. In 1950, Kaiser-Frazer began production of a new compact car, the Henry J and ended production of the Frazer automobiles. Both makes were 1951 model year automobiles. In 1952 and 1953, Kaiser-Frazer provided Sears, Roebuck and Company with Allstate-branded automobiles that retailers sold through select Sears Auto Centers. Based on
2184-513: The television series Maverick , promoting household products including Kaiser aluminum foil and Kaiser Jeep vehicles. In support of his Hawaii ventures, Kaiser induced Warner Brothers to copy the formula of its popular series 77 Sunset Strip as new TV series Hawaiian Eye . Though actually filmed at WB studios in Burbank, California , the show featured private detectives based at Kaiser's Hilton Hawaiian Village. (The Hilton Hawaiian Village
2240-652: The transaction, Kaiser acquired a 22% interest in AMC, which it later divested. Included in the sale was the General Products Division , which Kaiser had purchased from Studebaker in 1964 as Studebaker prepared to leave the auto business. AMC renamed the division AM General . The company continues operations and is best known as the manufacturer of the Humvee and civilian Hummer H1 . Henry J. Kaiser Henry John Kaiser (May 9, 1882 – August 24, 1967)
2296-471: The transaction, Kaiser acquired a 22% interest in AMC, which was later divested. In the mid-1950s, Kaiser asked William Besler to convert his 1953 Kaiser Manhattan to steam. Besler completed this in either 1957 or 1958. Kaiser did not like the remodeled car and left it with Besler. Kaiser founded Kaiser Aluminum in 1946 by leasing and later purchasing aluminum facilities in Washington state from
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2352-475: The trunk connected to the interior of the car was an improvised attempt at marketing a model to compete with the standard station wagon designs. The last Kaisers were produced in America during the 1955 model year. Close to 760,000 cars were built of all makes and models between May 1946 and September 1955. At the end of 1955, the Henry J. Kaiser Company management team used Kaiser Motors Corporation to create
2408-602: The west Lafayette Kaiser estate deteriorated and was eventually demolished. Today, the property is unrecognizable, subdivided into several homes. On August 24, 1967, Kaiser died at the age of 85 in Honolulu . He is interred in Mountain View Cemetery in the Main Mausoleum, in Oakland, California . He was outlived by his second wife, Alyce Chester Kaiser, who inherited half his fortune, and by his elder son, Edgar F. Kaiser , who had been president of
2464-406: Was September 28, 1950. The car was marketed through 1954. Kaiser-Frazer held a contest to name their new car, with Henry J being the winning name. A lawsuit by a shareholder in the company alleged that "The name is so ridiculous that it can be justified on no other ground than to satisfy a deep ingrained megalomanic desire for personal publicity". It is unknown the outcome of the suit and in the end,
2520-514: Was advantageous because it took less strength to do and it was easier to teach to thousands of employees, who were mostly unskilled laborers and many women. Kaiser adopted the use of sub-assemblies in ship construction. Formerly, hundreds of laborers crowded together to complete a ship. Though that practice had been tried on the East Coast and in Britain, Kaiser was able to take full advantage of
2576-686: Was an American industrialist who became known for his shipbuilding and construction projects, then later for his involvement in fostering modern American health care . Prior to World War II, Kaiser was involved in the construction industry; his company was one of those that built the Hoover Dam . He established the Kaiser Shipyards , which built Liberty ships during World War II , after which he formed Kaiser Aluminum and Kaiser Steel . Kaiser organized Kaiser Permanente health care for his workers and their families. He led Kaiser-Frazer followed by Kaiser Motors , automobile companies known for
2632-516: Was an early advocate of bringing American aid to those suffering from German aggression in Europe. In 1940, a full year before the US had entered World War II , Kaiser served as National Chairman of United Clothing Collection for International War Relief to provide much-needed clothing for the refugees from Hitler's conquests in Europe. Kaiser fought Hitler far more directly with what he is most famous for:
2688-533: Was an extra US$ 125 (equivalent to $ 1,467 in 2023). The dragon name was not used during the 1952 model year. The Kaiser Dragon model was introduced on October 31, 1952, for the 1953 model year. This time, the Dragon was a separate model, not a trim option, positioned above the "Manhattan." The special upholstery and padded roof now featured a grass-patterned "Bambu" vinyl and heavy-duty Belgian linen "Laguna" cloth with overlapping patterns. Available only as four-door sedans, these cars were upscale in addition to
2744-593: Was between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Santa Fe Railway had to petition The California State Railroad Commission to operate the bus on state highways as it used a trailer , which were forbidden to use. The Henry J was built by the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation and named after its chairman, Henry J. Kaiser. Production of six-cylinder models began in July 1950, and four-cylinder production started shortly after Labor Day, 1950. Official public introduction
2800-509: Was discontinued after the 1951 models. Joseph Frazer remained a sales consultant and vice-chairman of the Kaiser-Frazer board until 1953. At the 1953 annual stockholders' meeting, Kaiser-Frazer Corporation's name was changed to Kaiser Motors Corporation by stockholder vote. Shortly before the meeting, Kaiser-Frazer's Kaiser Manufacturing Corporation division worked out a deal to purchase certain assets (and assume certain liabilities) of
2856-799: Was featured in Hawaii 5-0 with many scenes filmed at the resort.) Kaiser eventually bought and built a chain of radio and television stations which became known as Kaiser Broadcasting . Some call signs included his initials "HK", beginning in 1957 in Honolulu with KHVH-TV 13 and KHVH AM 1040. Kaiser's first wife Bess Fosburgh died on March 14, 1951. Kaiser married the nurse who had cared for her, Alyce Chester (reportedly with his wife's blessing) on April 10, 1951. He adopted her son, who as Michael Kaiser, attended nearby Lafayette public Vallecito School. Kaiser's attention soon transferred to Hawaii, and in 1955 he moved his family there. After Kaiser moved to Hawaii,
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#17328017513312912-654: Was financially stable before he would consent to their marriage. Kaiser moved to Spokane and became a top salesman at a hardware company, returning ten months later with enough money to placate his future father-in-law. They married on April 8, 1907, and had two children, Edgar Kaiser, Sr and Henry Kaiser, Jr. In 1914 Kaiser founded a paving company, Henry J. Kaiser Co., Ltd., one of the first to use heavy construction machinery. His firm expanded significantly in 1927 when it received an $ 18-million contract to build roads in Camagüey Province , Cuba. In 1931 his firm
2968-540: Was named "Dragon skin" instead of alligator so customers would not think that it was real alligator skin. The cars also featured thick carpeting. There was also the second series of cars named for their color (i.e. Mariner Gray was called "Silver Dragon"). The trim was available with a padded vinyl roof , which had a different texture than the interior, and was called "Dinosaur." The last series came only in Tropical Green and were called "Jade Dragons". This option
3024-619: Was one of the prime contractors in building the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River , and subsequently the Bonneville and Grand Coulee Dams on the Columbia River . While doing business among the " Six Companies, Inc. ", and remotely related to his interest in motor boat racing, he set up shipyards in Seattle and Tacoma , where he began using mass-production techniques, such as using welding instead of rivets . Henry Kaiser
3080-619: Was reconstructed in 2016. It was a highway bus meant to go from train station to train station within the Santa Fe Railway. It was built for Santa Fe Trailways (later Continental Trailways, part of National Trailways Bus System) to run on longer routes, not entirely inside urban areas. Construction took place at the Kaiser Permanente Metals Corporation plant in Los Altos. The first, and only route,
3136-552: Was similar to the experience of Hudson and Studebaker during the 1950s. The Henry J, while a reasonable idea, was restricted by the terms of a re-capitalization loan the government made to the company in the fall of 1949. Kaiser-Frazer labor agreements resulted in the company paying the highest wages of any American automaker while having a productivity rate of only 60–65% in return. Kaiser tried to resolve its deficiencies with schemes like elaborate designer interiors with upscale dashboards and upholstery. A line of "Traveler" sedans with
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