1955-1958 Darrin Sports Car

[Geoff Hacker]

Hi Gang..

I'm starting a series on the 1955-1958 years of the "Kaiser Darrin" - now known as the "Darrin Sports Car."  The first article was posted this evening:

http://www.forgottenfiberglass.com/fiberglass-car-marques/kaiser-darrin/introducing-1955-darrin-sports-car/

Hope you enjoy :-)

Geoff Hacker
Forgotten Fiberglass
And....Kaiser Club Member Too :-)

[Aeroman]

Enjoyed this piece. Supposedly, Dutch bought 50 cars from Kaiser-Willys. As far as I know, and it appears to be common knowledge in the club for years, none of Darrin's post-Kaiser sportscars have showed up anywhere. I'm curious what serial numbers he would have used for each car. We've all been hoping one would turn up some day.

[Gordie]

I would be surprised if Darrin modified more than one with the installation of a Cadillac motor as it would have made the selling price prohibitive.  By 1955 Thunderbirds and Corvettes were available with V-8 engines and I am sure that they were stiff competition for Darrin.  The ad for his prototype with 500 miles on it was priced very reasonable.  Purchasing fifty cars from Kaiser Willys would have had a huge cost and Darrin did not have that kind of money.  He may have owned a few of them but many more would have been impossible.  These old rumors die hard!  Maybe some day the truth will be known!

[Terry T]

Dutch made only 1 with the Caddy V8!!

[DTort96646]

Looking back at the SCCA’s entry list for the 1955 Palm Springs road race March 26-27 1955, Howard Darrin entered two Darrins. Number 162 driver was Maxine Elmer [Briggs Cunningham’s wife], and it was Cadillac powered. The second 163 driver was Ralph Sinatra Jr. and it was a supercharged F- Head 161. Maxine Elmer made almost one lap and returned to the pits with no brakes, and Ralph Sinatra rolled his car over during the race. There were a couple of Darrins entered in SCCA races in later years up to 1957, but no mention of owners, just drivers. Makes me think Howard Darrin only had access to less than a handful of Kaiser Darrins and what became of them is speculation. Kaiser Darrin X serial number cars have been in the Darrin registry[DKF-X6 and KF-547-X8], very rare, but no Darrin sold cars have been heard from. As to fifty unsold Kaiser Darrins being available, I doubt that ever happened. I think Henry and Edgar Kaiser would have been too savvy to overproduce a vehicle that was not selling and was expensive to make

[DTort96646]

The website that has footage of the SCCA Palm Springs March 1955 race is : http://thechicaneblog.com/?s=palm+springs+1955 . Darrin 162 is not in the footage because she went out early, but there is footage of Darrin 163 rolling over and later being uprighted

[Gordie]

That is great footage and thanks for sharing it with us.  It seems that there was a little bit of everything in that race including Porsches, Jaguars, Triumphs, Austin Healeys, MG's and flat head Ford powered Allards and even some race cars.  When the Darrin rolled the driver was trapped inside but apparently escaped out the sliding door as it was open when they uprighted the car much later in the film.  Great footage and that Darren spun out once and finally rolled on its top which indicates that it got pushed way beyond its limits and those of its driver.