Following the Second World War the auto industry's production hiatus from February, 1942 to August, 1945 produced a strong pent-up demand for new cars. This attracted several entrepreneurs to the automobile business, names like Playboy, Keller, Davis, Tucker and Kaiser-Frazer. Of these, Kaiser-Frazer, although it lasted for just 10 years, came closest to challenging the established industry.

After the war Henry Kaiser and Joe Frazer formed the Kaiser-Frazer Corp. Both were already successful entrepreneurs. Kaiser's wealth and fame came from construction. Among other projects, his company participated in building the mighty Boulder (now Hoover) Dam, and produced Liberty Ships during the war.

Frazer had progressed from Packard mechanic to the presidency of Willys-Overland and then Graham-Paige Motor Corp. Graham-Paige had been active in war work but hadn't built a car since 1940.

They created Kaiser-Frazer in July, 1945, to challenge the surviving auto manufacturers: the Big Three (General Motors, Ford and Chrysler) and Little Four (Nash, Hudson, Studebaker and Packard). Crosley was also present but its cars were too small to be practical, and would disappear in 1952.     

With no pre-war models to fall back on, K-F's design was new from the ground up. There were two nameplates for virtually identical models: the popular priced Kaiser and upscale Frazer.

After experimenting with such advanced features as front-wheel drive, torsion bar suspension and unit construction, K-F settled on a conventional body-on-frame, front-engine, rear-drive layout.

Stylist Howard "Dutch" Darrin produced a full envelope, slab-sided design whose fender line ran straight and level from front to rear.

A long 3,137 mm (123.5 in.) wheelbase gave K-F's between-the-axles seating, ample legroom and a good ride.

To speed development and save money they used a Continental industrial 3.7 litre (226 cu in.) engine modified for automotive use. This side-valve six developed 100 horsepower, and following some initial quality problems K-F began manufacturing them itself under licence in 1947.

K-F had its first two cars ready to show by January, 1946. They were well received, and K-F acquired the huge war surplus Willow Run bomber plant near Ypsilanti, Michigan. They revamped it into the world's largest car plant and began production in June, 1946. The cars were introduced as 1947 models, and K-F couldn’t have launched their new models at a better time.

Things went well initially with sales of 1947 Kaiser/Frazer models exceeding 139,000. The 1948s were little changed, and sales held at about the same level.

But competition was increasing from cars like the all-new Raymond Loewy-designed 1947 Studebaker, and the 1948 "Step Down" Hudson. By 1949, the Big three's transition to post-war styling was complete, as was Nash's with its new "Airflyte" series.

With the shift to a buyer's market, combined sales of the 1949-50 Kaiser/Frazers, still little changed, fell to just over 120,000. This was in spite of K-F pioneering the innovative hatchback design in its 1949 Traveler model.

Something had to be done, and stylist Darrin and assistant Duncan McRae created the lovely 1951 K-F line, one of the most beautiful of the 1950s cars. Gone were the boxiness and straight lines, replaced by a low beltline with a gentle dip at the rear door that followed the motif of the "Darrin Dip" at the top of the windshield. The wheelbase was reduced to 3,010 mm (118.5 in.).

Large windows, a nicely integrated grille, a steeply raked windshield and imaginative interior styling made the '51 Kaiser a winner. A glamorous Golden Dragon model added panache to the Kaiser line. There was a '51 Frazer, but few were sold.

After a disagreement with Henry Kaiser, Joe Frazer left the company and the Frazer nameplate soon disappeared. With its attractive new styling and the addition of the Henry J compact, 1951 K-F sales jumped to 231,608.

The Kaiser had one serious disadvantage, however. The old side-valve six couldn't match the performance and smoothness of its eight-cylinder competition, and K-F couldn't afford a new V8.

Nineteen fifty-two was the beginning of the end for K-F's car building efforts in North America, which included assembling cars in Toronto in 1950-51. Sales dropped to 57,265. In 1953, the year K-F acquired Willys-Overland and the famous Jeep name, sales fell further to 46,398.

Despite supercharging the six in 1954 that raised horsepower from 118 to 140, sales were meagre at just over 10,000. A stylish fibreglass-bodied, sliding-door sports car, the Kaiser Darrin, was also offered, although it was priced high and found few buyers.

Just under 6,000 '55 models (now including Willys cars) were built before production ceased. Henry Kaiser shipped the Kaiser dies to Argentina where they were used to build a car called the Kaiser Carabela.

Kaiser-Frazer's demise as an American car builder marked the end of the bravest attempt by a new, home-grown company to crack Fortress Detroit. Many mourned its passing.