THE UNKNOWN CORVETTE COMPETITOR | KAISER DARRIN

Powered by a 90-horsepower 161-cubic inch sixcylinder engine, the Kaiser Darrin was created to compete with Chevrolet's Corvette in the growing sports car market. The Kaiser Darrin was styled by Santa Monica-based Howard "Dutch" Darrin, who had also designed for Packard and Studebaker. Unusual for the time, the Kaiser Darrin had a fiberglass body, a three-position top and sliding doors that disappeared into the front fenders when opened. In 1954, the model's only year of production, a mere 435 cars were built in addition to an estimated six preproduction prototypes. After a fleeting attempt to produce a 1955 model, Kaiser was dissolved in America and re-established in Argentina as Kaiser Carabela in 1958. A small number of unsold Kaiser-Darrins were later acquired by Howard Darrin who swapped the workaday inline-six for a variety of other more potent engines, including a Cadillac V-8, transforming them into genuine performance cars.

Added 21 Aug 2026