Kaiser-Frazer toys

[Gordie]

I have recently started to collect Kaiser-Frazer toys and wondered how many of us have collections.  Early ones consist of a 1947 Kaiser from Tootsietoy and a few tin ones that were made in Japan.  There is a nice '49 Kaiser convertible and Banthrico offered Kaiser Banks for a couple of years and they are hard to find today.  There are several modern Kaisers and also several Darrin toys and models and a few older Henry J's were also made along with lots of new ones presently available.  I just discovered that Brooklin has come out with an Allstate model which would be nice especially if you own a real one. I have found about 40 K-F plus about 10 Darrin's but I know that there must be a lot of others.  Do any of you have unusual K-F toys?

[joefrazer]

Revell produced a 1/25 scale Henry J model kit. It was produced as a "gasser" hot rod but can be easily converted to a stock looking car using other kits for parts. I know of at least three releases for the same kit with the earliest being done in green and the latest in a dark blue.

I remember building the green (first release version) as a kid and completing it just in time to take it to the 1970 KF national meet in Hershey, PA. While that particular build is long gone, I do have four unbuilt kits as well as one a completed in stock form using parts from a 1951 Chevrolet car kit.

[Aeroman]

New Willys Aero from Brooklin, here's an ebay ad for one:
https://www.ebay.com/i/401326357130?chn=ps&dispItem=1

Also, Hot Wheels Henry J:
http://globaldiecastdirect.com/first-editions-new-models/10493-hot-wheels-2002-first-editions-series-jaded-nhra-kaiser-henry-j-.html

Premier Kaiser Darrin kit from the 1950's:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/527836018798690904/

Also little, tiny plastic castings pictured below. Front left is the Willys Aero. There is also a henry J in this series.

[Fid]

This is a nice '47/'48 Kaiser from the era

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Windup-Car-Made-In-Occupied-Japan/111910272744?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Finding a complete one with the cable and the steering mechanism is a challenge but if you just want the car, it is certainly a Kaiser.  I have an NOS one, in the box with all parts, that I got at an antique store back in the '70s.

[Gordie]

Thanks, those are some great tips.  I'll have to start saving a lot of money to get them all.  Brooklin also makes several varieties of Jeep station wagons, pickups and a very nice '48 Jeepster.

[Bulletin Editor]

Also, Hot Wheels Henry J:
http://globaldiecastdirect.com/first-editions-new-models/10493-hot-wheels-2002-first-editions-series-jaded-nhra-kaiser-henry-j-.html

FYI: Jack was contacted by Mattel to consult and confirm the design of this project

[Gordie]

You have no doubt seen the ads for Sun Star Henry J's  in 1/18" scale.  They seem to run from around sixty dollars up to well over a hundred and they come in a variety of types. There is the sedan, a drag race type in six variations, a taxi, and a Aut Swenson thrill jump car and maybe others.  I finally sent for a sedan and it arrived today and I am very pleased with it.  It is almost ten inches long and features opening front doors with a fully detailed interior including folding seats and interior sun visors.  The engine compartment hood opens with real hinges and has a fully detailed compartment including battery and cables, an air cleaner with an orange decal on it, radiator and cap and hoses and really looks like the real thing.  Mine is in Caribbean Coral and they come in many other colors.  The wheels turn with the steering wheel and the axles have individual suspension for each wheel.  It is a 1951 Deluxe six cylinder with no trunk but they now make one with a opening trunk.  If you own a Henry J you certainly won't be disappointed with these models and you can almost order your own color and features.  It looks like a real Henry J. and has a three piece jack lying on the trunk floor.

[Gordie]

If you are still collecting Kaiser Frazer-Willys toys you may be interested in a just received 1963 Willys Interlagos coupe that I had sent away for to Hong Kong and it took about a month to arrive but it is a very nicely done 1:43 scale in a plastic case.  They are made by Atlas and are made in China but they are available on line and I paid about $20.00 including postage.  Mine is in yellow and is very well detailed.  If you have one of the Brooklin 1:43rd scale 1953 Kaiser Manhattan sedans I found that they also shipped 500 black ones to Rotterdam and they have a special "Rotterdam" label on the box and they seem to be otherwise like the blue ones that seem to be the most common color.  A company in England modified ten each of the '53 Manhattans and the result is a California Highway Patrol car in Black and white,  a Toronto Taxi in yellow and another police patrol car in all black. They are interesting variations that show up on eBay.  Have you guys found anything interesting?

[Carpenter]

Would appreciate any information on the 54-55 Kaiser Manhattan cars/kits.

[Carpenter]

...and your price is what, Jake?

[Gordie]

These two mystery photos that the poster has since removed seem to be of a Brooklin model 29B 1954 Kaiser Manhattan made in England but available on eBay for around $100.00 plus postage.  Not many models were made of the 1954 Kaisers and the only other one that I am aware of is the one done in prototype style by a company called Banthrico who made die cast banks starting in about 1933 and for the World Fair in Chicago they made many very realistic die cast models of 1934 cars under their original name of National Products Co.  By 1948 they were making very nice promotional model cars and trucks for several American manufacturers.  Kaisers did not appear until 1953 and by 1954 Banthrico had lost most of its business to companies who could make promotional models out of plastic which was much cheaper to manufacture.  Banthrico did make some 195i Henry J's. and 1953 Kaiser models and had planned to do a 1954 and a few 1954 protypes were discovered in their warehouse when the company was liquidated.  Any of their Kaisers models are desirable to have and are very hard to find.  A KFOCI member in Texas used to make plaster copies of the 1953 Banthrico Kaisers and occasionally one shows up on eBay.  A few coupes were made as well as two and four door sedans.

[Gordie]

While doing a little research on the newly available '52 Allstate models made by Brooklin Models in England I discovered that they are only making 175 of them. That is probably more than two models for every surviving real Allstate.  It is nice to know that there is one available for any of us who wants one but they will probably always be a little pricey.  The best price I found was $139.00 from a toy dealer in England and that included free postage.  I only saw two colors, a cream and turquoise but there may be others on eBay.  They are made in 1:43 scale and they will probably be the only chance for us to find an Allstate model for our collections.

[Gordie]

The forum member who prompted this response removed his listing so the answer provided was for two model car photos that he included. -- These both look like recent Brooklin models of a 1953 Kaiser Manhattan and a 1954 Darrin.  Both are still available new and in the boxes on line and by shopping you can find the Manhattans for around $60 and the Darrin's for about $120 and less if they do not still have the original boxes.  About 40 years ago I paid $600 for a cast iron 1939 Lincoln Zephyr toy and I had a real 1939 Lincoln Zephyr that I had paid the same amount for a few years previously.  Toys can easily cost thousands of dollars for the rare ones.  Lets hope that our Kaiser toys don't get into that category!

[r1lark]

We are going to try to keep this discussion related to Kaiser-Frazer-Willys toys but I have a real 1958 Metropolitan the same color as yours.

We had one also.. I posted  it to show the detail of the toy cars.. It looks almost real..

Jake/Nick, hate to tell you this, but that is not a Metropolitan in your picture. It's a Tucker............

[Gordie]

The newest issue of Antique Toy World magazine has an ad for a Banthrico 1953 Kaiser Manhattan sedan in new condition for $485.00.  It mentions that the toy is the variation with the dip in the windshield.  I never knew that there were differences but in looking at my model it has a dip at the rear window but not in the front.  Apparently there was no '52 model.  There are two variations of the 1953 model, one with no dip in the top of the windshield and one with the dip.  The two models look similar but the bases are different and the bottom casting of the model is different also.  I am not sure which variation came first but I wonder if the non dip model came first and the dealers complained and Banthrico made a modification.  That is just a guess.  I heard also that the dies wore out and they had to repair them,  They are all very difficult to find in nice condition.  The '54 is quite different and has the change in the rear window shape and the different front end with plastic grill, bumpers and tail lights.