The Big Apple? 1947 Frazer Manhattan
As shortlived as Kaiser-Frazer (’47-’55) was, they produced some memorable cars and still manage to get quite a bit of coverage here on Barn Finds. Last month this 1947 Frazer Manhattan surfaced and today, we have another example, same year, just in considerably nicer condition – it’s just out of 30 years of barn storage. Located in Franklin, New Jersey, not too far from Manhattan, is this mostly complete sedan. It’s available, here on craigslist for $6,250 and we have T.J. to thank for its discovery.
This Manhattan is a freshman edition and rode at the top of the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation though it was a Frazer model. After 1953, it would be known as a Kaiser Motors product. The seller tells us that this is a very rare car but there were over 18K produced in ’47, so I’d suggest otherwise. Though it is a 30-year stored barn find, it seems to have weathered isolation pretty well. The body is considered to be solid but there is some evidence of rust-through in the driver’s side front door and the passenger side quarter. The rear bumper has lost most of its plating and actually looks painted silver. There are also areas behind that bumper, and under the hood, that are finished in white, so this Manhattan has probably had a color change somewhere in its three-quarters of a century existence. But, the trim is all there, and this example shows as a complete car. Of note, check out the four guards on that front bumper, perfect for doing some parallel parking by ear!
This Frazer’s interior is pretty snappy with its plaid upholstery, but we have two plaids going on as the front seat doesn’t match the rear. The instrument panel is typical for the late 1940s though understated compared to other premium cars of the era. The interior images aren’t terribly revealing but it would seem that the usual suspects of problems exist here with worn, stained door panels, and just an overly dark, dusty, and dingy bearing.
The seller makes mention of the fact that this car “even has the Kaiser Frazer air conditioning unit still intacked (sic)” but it’s really just a heater and air handler, not a true A/C system.
Up front is a 100 HP, 226 CI, flathead, in-line, six-cylinder engine which turns over by hand but will not start. The seller seems to think that the starter is the problem. If there is 30-year-old fuel in the tank, that could be part of the problem too. A three-on-the-tree manually shifted transmission completes the hook-up to the rear wheels.
Comparatively speaking, I see hope for this Manhattan, unlike last month’s entry which looks more like a “1970s Bronx” model. Considering its current status, it would be nice to see this one return to its 1947 presentation – a non-modified, non-wasted away subject always seems to better lend itself to that endeavor. So, tell me, has anyone ever owned a Kaiser-Frazer product, and if so, how was the experience?
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Comments
Four, count ’em, four, bumper guards I say…
Yeah, well, at least it isn’t four Dagmars…now THAT would look weird…
On the late 1974 MGBs they were called Sabrinas, after a vey buxom British actress.
“Dutch” Darrin designed the Frazer – and its stablemate Kaiser which shared the same body until 1951. As a lover of oddball cars, this Frazer is right up my alley.
Great dash, great steering wheel.
I saw one of these “new” when I was 7 years old. The manager of the 7Up plant in Wichita Kansas owned it, and he was very proud to own it. I thought it looked a bit funny, but it sure was shiny.
I had a 1951 Kaiser Club Coupe which a used car dealer threw in for free when I bought a ‘51 Hudson Hornet back in the mid-70s. The Kaiser was a lovely car. Nice to drive even with an automatic. But the Hornet was the really thrilling ride. Right out of R.Crumb. “Keep on truckin’.”
M. Roosevelt , you can go wrong with a Hornet!
Had a good friend that traded his ’58 Biarritz for a Kaiser Dragon without the supercharger. Nice car, but as my old uncle would say” it couldn’t pull a bum out of bed with a long rope”. Never heard anyone use that term since, about a car that was underpowered.
The Dragon never had a Supercharger.
But it sure needed one!
While the Frazer didn’t set the world on fire, stylewise, it was a fresh design right after the war, while the others used pre-war designs. They did offer many features the others didn’t, like IFS, fresh air heater, dual horns and sun visors, dome lights, all extra on the others AND an automatic choke! I know, whoopee, but an automatic choke was revolutionary. You can see it there, and became standard on all cars, eventually. They also had the 1st front wheel drive prototype, but engineering problems cancelled it. Shame, look where THAT went. It’s a neat find, cripes, IDK, years ago, this would have been a perfect project, very similar to our Packard. Whether that ambition still exists isn’t clear. Unrelated to the car, I read, Henry Kaiser was the best boss to work for. He cherished his employees, even set up healthcare and retirement for them.
1929 Cord was fwd and so is my 1936 Cord Westchester. Citroen was fwd also
Looks like a nice one. Don’t know about pulling a bum out of bed. I have a Massey-Harris 101 tractor with that Continental 226 engine and it pulls plenty. With the straight pipe it is one of the best sounding tractors I’ve heard.
It all has to do with the gearing. I once had an ’80 Ford F100 equipped with the 300 ci straight six and the four-speed overdrive manual transmission. It got 24 MPG, which is great for a full-size P/U, but “it won’t pull a sick p–s ant offin’ the mound”. :)
Looks kinda like the 59 Studie I rescued a few weeks ago….
I pick up its twin next spring….
OOOPS…big fingers….The blue one is a 1950 Studie Champion…the red one is a 1951…
Looks more like a 50 Stude.
Finally a decent price on a nice old car. Body rust doesn’t appear to be too far gone, so it should not be too expensive. Paint need to be redone, so sky is the limit on paint colors.
Interior looks to be fair and could be upgraded at a later date.
Personal inspection though would be a good idea.
Regarding the “plaid” upholstery, I wonder if at least the front seat is sporting an old aftermarket (Rayco, J. C. Whitney, Western Auto, etc.) seat cover?
Frazers [and Kaisers] had the firewall painted same color as the outer body panels, so this car was painted in an “Off White” color when new. That was a fairly rare color for the time, as many paint primers would bleed thru on a white car. Some manufacturers like Packard charged extra for a white car, as it required special painting materials and procedures.
These were very reliable for the time, but also very underpowered. They always needed a larger engine, but the money simply wasn’t there. Frazers are easy to work on, not difficult to get mechanical parts in general, and the K-F owner’s club provides excellent support.
I’m a little surprised that as the top-of-the-line Manhattan, it doesn’t appear to be equipped with overdrive. And yes, that’s a reasonable price. Not a steal, but not over priced.
The best-riding car I’ve experienced and a great highway cruiser with adequate performance and a tight turning-radius.