Author Topic: Kaiser, Frazer and Willys products manufactured overseas  (Read 812 times)

Gordie

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2495
    • MSN Messenger - gordies1@verizon.net
    • AOL Instant Messenger - Gordie
    • View Profile
    • Email
Kaiser, Frazer and Willys products manufactured overseas
« on: August 20, 2018, 07:38:16 PM »
The  October 2018 issue of Hemmings Classic Car magazine has an interesting short article about the manufacturing of cars and trucks totally or partly owned by Kaiser, and Willys in foreign countries.  It covers Europe, Israel and South America and gives many dates and facts about what was made there.  There is not a lot of information about these foreign efforts to make and sell cars overseas.
Member #3151 Since June 1974
Vice President K.F.O.C.I. 2013-2017  President 2018-2019
'47 Graham Paige Frazer                                   
'51 Kaiser Deluxe club coupe       
'51 Kaiser customized convertible 
'52 Allstate serial#39
'53 Aero Eagle
'54 Aero Eagle Custom

MarkH

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1083
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Kaiser, Frazer and Willys products manufactured overseas
« Reply #1 on: August 20, 2018, 09:53:36 PM »
Looking forward to reading it. I've bought NOS parts from Israel, Netherlands, Brazil, Viet Nam & Canada. It will be interesting to see if I "re-patriated" them or bought foreign made.
Fully restored '54 Aero Lark
Rusty '58 Austin Healey 100-Six
Barely running'74 Chevelle Malibu

kaiserfrazerlibrary

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3005
  • KFOCI Historian
    • AOL Instant Messenger - none
    • Yahoo Instant Messenger - none
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Kaiser, Frazer and Willys products manufactured overseas
« Reply #2 on: August 21, 2018, 08:53:26 AM »

If it did not come in any of the following packaging, the parts were re-manufactured; remember that many mechanical parts were also used in either Jeeps, Willys Trucks or Station wagons depending on actual use application:

Domestic (stateside packaging)
IKA or IKA Renault (Argentina)
Willis-Overland du Brasil (Brazil)
Illin (israel)
Fuji Heavy Industries LTD or Mitsubshi LTD (would be Japanese Words)
Motor House LTD (India-1947 or 1948)
NDKAF (Dutch wording, Netherlands)

Also, note that many suppliers to the overseas plants (names unknown at present) would have sold parts under their own names.  I would guess that Viet Nam sourced parts are more recent aftermarket (no facilities their other than dealers-distributor through the end of French colonial status here was Pershing Motors in Paris for most of the K-F years)