1953 Kaiser Dragon 1953 Kaiser Dragon
A “South Seas” Jewel With Mid-Century Modern Design
When World War II ended, Kaiser-Frazer was one of the first out with an all new automobile design. Streamlined and unlike anything competitors had to offer, their entry in the automotive field signaled a change in postwar automobile offerings. While new to automotive manufacturing, Kaiser brought innovation to automobile styling by working with key designers of the era. Howard “Dutch” Darrin had been involved with Kaiser designs since the 1940s and played a significant part in the new body design which debuted in 1951. Another designer, Carleton Spencer, was part of the Kaiser team and was well-known across the industry for his interior design and color combinations. The 1953 Kaiser Dragon is recognized as his best work.
Dragon interiors and colors used were a combination of the design talents of Carleton Spencer and fashion designer Marie Nichols. Nichols designed the Belgian-cloth for the interior known as “laguna cloth” and most Dragons used this material for seat inserts and as part of the door panels. The rest of the interior was a result of Spencer’s work where he used bambu vinyl (their term for “bamboo” which mimicked bamboo in 3 different colors) for the padded top, dashboard, door panels, headliner, seats, trunk, kick panels and even the glovebox. The interior was over the top, true mid-century modern design and was extravagant in every way. And the bambu vinyl gave the entire car a “south seas” or “tiki themed” flair.
Each Dragon was fully appointed and equipped with options such as Hydra-Matic automatic transmission, tinted glass, oversize whitewall tires, rear speaker, center armrests and more. To top it off, many trim pieces were plated in 14 carat gold such as the hood ornament, hood and deck “V” medallions, deck and fender script trunk and keyhole cover. Even the script “Dragon” which appeared on the front fenders of the car were plated in 14 carat gold.
The Dragon was the most luxurious Kaiser ever produced – and the most expensive too. It was designed to compete against entry level Cadillacs and cars of similar type. As each Dragon was sold, the dealer installed a 14 carat gold plated medallion on the glovebox which read “Built Expressly For” with the name of the owner engraved on the emblem. Additionally, a personal letter from Edgar Kaiser, owner and Chief Executive Officer of Kaiser, was sent to the new Dragon owner emphasizing the custom features of the car and congratulating the new owner on his/her discerning purchase.
Kaiser Dragons were specialty cars built for Kaiser by Mitchell-Bentley of Michigan who was famous for finishing limited production specialty and show cars such as the Packard Caribbean, the Dodge Granada show car, Packard Panthers and more. The Kaiser Dragon was a one-year model – 1953 only. As such, Kaiser produced just 1277 of these rare, limited production luxury cars. Few Dragons are left today.
Price: Auction
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Location: Tampa, Florida, United States
