Kaiser-Frazer Distributorships

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Kaiser-Frazer used a 2-step (dealer/distributor) program to sell cars and factory-branded parts in order to make stuff more accessible to dealers but not tie up money as assets (finished cars, parts & accessories).  During the 1949 model year a lot of the distributors either went out of business or downgraded to parts & accessories distributorships only (no longer had cars) due to the poor sales of automobiles.  Less than 60,000 Kaiser & Frazers (including around 25,000 Traveler & Vagabond hatchbacks) were built in calendar year 1949 so it was hard to make ends meet. 

As there are no known factory records that chronicle all the dealers & distributors that were franchised by the company, you have to grab the info from newspaper ads, factory publication, dealer stamps on literature, etc.

[JoeKeys2010]

My grandfather was one of three owners of a distributorship that failed early in 1950.  It was Triangle Motors in Jacksonville. 

[DTort96646]

My Uncle and my Dad started a car repair business after WW II. My Uncle flew to Willow Run and took delivery of a 1951 Frazer 4 door and drove it back to Massachusetts. That was the start of my family's car business. When Willys Overland was bought by Kaiser, they took that on also. We are still in business today, my Cousin is the Dealer Principal and I am semi retired in the service dept. In 2003 Chrysler Corp recognized us as one of the oldest continuous Jeep dealers. My new diesel Grand Cherokee is in transit now. I own one of the last Kaisers that we sold in 1954, Kaiser Darrin number 357, that I have owned since 1968.We were dealer number 2664, Dan's Service Station, 13 Brigham Street, Westborough, MA. Now we are Dan's Jeep Chrysler Dodge, 82 Turnpike Rd,Westborough, MA

[JoeKeys2010]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. My grandfather was a successful used car salesman (he owned three lots in Jacksonville). during the war and following the war wanted to sell new cars. He thought it was more prestigious. He and two other applied for a business license in 1946. They built a two story showroom on Main Street in Jacksonville. My grandfather contributed the land, sold two othe used car lots he owned and threw in 100k. The other two made similar contributions.

He did well in 47 and 48 but things went bad in 49. He bought one of the partners out, sold his beach house and mortgaged his home and dumped it into the business but it ultimately failed and he lost everything because he refused to file bankruptcy.

He was only in his mid. 30s at the time. The building later became a television station and was knocked down about 10 years ago.

His two partners were Benard Jack Larue and Johnny Garrison. My grandfather was Marion Keys but most folks called him Jimmie.

My grandmother kept a scrap book of newspaper clippings that had a feature about the formation of the distributorship and advertisements. I even have some color home movie.

Wish I'd have asked more questions. He died when I was about 19 or so. I did hear him say once he could sell them but could not get them. Maybe that was the case early on.