Kaiser Frazer Owners Club Forum
General Category => Willys Forum => Topic started by: pnw_oldmags on October 02, 2014, 04:55:22 PM
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Do you have a list of show room brochures as well to share ;D ?
http://circlekf.com/kflit/SR/kwsr002/kwsr002.pdf (http://circlekf.com/kflit/SR/kwsr002/kwsr002.pdf)
(http://circlekf.com/kflit/SR/kwsr002/kwsr002001_thumb.jpg)
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On December 9, 1952 the Toledo Blade published a special edition devoted entirely to Willys Overland and their 50th anniversary. It's a large newspaper in the old format size of 16x24 and is 48 pages in length. I found a good copy at Hershey several years ago, swallowed hard and bought it. Attached are a couple pictures.
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That is a very neat piece ... if you find a second copy let me know!
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There is a nice book put out by Iconographix called the Complete U.S. Automobile Sales Literature Checklist. It is 158 pages and it lists most U.S. auto literature from 1946 to 2000. I found a listing for a 1947 Kaiser accessory folder that is different than the 1948 issue and I have never been able to find one. You can get this book at many book sellers or if you want to contact the publisher directly you can do it at: info@iconografixinc.com or phone 800 289 3504. They have many interesting car and truck books.
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I'm always on the lookout for Aero brochures & ads. I have a few sales brochures and also a couple items I've only seen once.
One I think is a dealership only book. A 1954 model year hard bound 5x7 salesman's binder that briefly covers the Station Wagon and in more detail, the Aero.
The other is a 1953 internal report produced by the Chrysler Corp Engineering Division, featuring photos inside & out of a new Aero they examined, plus various comparisons to their Cambridge & Cranbrook models.
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Great finds.....how did Chrysler view the Aero compared to their cars ?
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Great finds.....how did Chrysler view the Aero compared to their cars ?
The booklet has a brief description of Willys Overland history plus market share percentage and changes from '52 to '53 on the Aero models. The rest is detailed black & white photos plus several pages of statistical comparisons, interior specs, general specs, mechanical, options, price, etc.
There's no opinion given of any of the cars, for better or worse. Pretty much just a direct comparison of their cars to a competing model, which what I found the most interesting about this.
In the description they mention that Willys was in 17th place, and their 1952 production of 48,845 vehicles represented 1.13 % of the auto industry's total production, which was a 0.60 % increase over Willys Overland's 1951 production.
Such a small market share, yet Chrysler Engineering went to the effort to acquire an Aero and examine it in detail, down to minor design changes and engine timing advance changes.............. compared to info they already had on the '52 model.
I find it interesting that Chrysler went to this effort for a minor competitor and especially that this internal report even found it's way outside of Chrysler. I'm guessing some executive brought it home and never destroyed it.
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Chrysler did a similar book on the 1951 Frazer. Ford would do the same thing by buying cars and taking detailed photos. I have a few photos that they did for Kaisers and Henry J's and the Allstate.
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JOE FRAZER: please scan that newspaper section, I am sure it is deteriorating and I'd sure like a copy, even digital.
Mark H: I have a copy of that 1954 Salesman's Fact Book. I have never seen one for another year, but would like to. Also, would it be too much to get digital copies of the Chrysler booklet?
Here is a list of all the factory brochures I know of (XL files will not upload to this forum, so it's part of my comments, let's see how this turns out):
year color title models closed open
1952 full color COMPARE the new AeroWillys (Ace cover) Ace, Wing 8.375" X 4.5" 8.375" X 18"
1952 full color COMPARE the new AeroWillys (Wing cover) Ace, Wing 8.375" X 4.5" 8.375" X 18"
1952 full color The New Aero Willys Wing, Ace 8.375" X 7.25" 16.75" X 14.5"
1952 blue, b & w Willys presents a great car value (Lark intro) Lark 10" X 8" 30" X 8"
1952 full color The New Aero Willys Wing, Ace 10" X 9" 20" X 27"
1953 dk yell, b & w All Hail the Willys TAXI Taxi 9.25" X 6.125" 18.5" X 12.25"
1953 sepia-tone The Aero Willys for 1953 Full car line 10.5" X 7.75" 21" X 15.5"
1954 b & w Confidential Private preview ... cars, wagons 8.5" X 5.375" 17" X 5.375"
1954 full color 1954 Aero Willys The shape of cars to come Full car line 11.5" X 8" 23" X 24"
1954 full color 1954 Aero Willys Le style des voitures de l'avenir Full car line 11.5" X 8" 23" X 24"
1954 full color More Power to you from Aero Willys Full car line 11.5" X 10" 23" X 30"
1955 b & w 55 Willys Full car line 11" X 8.5" 11" X 17"
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Thanks for the List!
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Sorry about the columns lining up - they lined up nicely before I hit "Post."
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JOE FRAZER: please scan that newspaper section, I am sure it is deteriorating and I'd sure like a copy, even digital.
Mark H: I have a copy of that 1954 Salesman's Fact Book. I have never seen one for another year, but would like to. Also, would it be too much to get digital copies of the Chrysler booklet?
Finally got around to making a PDF file out of the Chrysler report. The spine is too stiff to flatten the booklet on a scanner without damaging it so it started out as photos.
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I also have one of the '54 Aero facts books but I have not seen other years but I'm sure that they must have had them for the salesmen. Chrysler made up those books for most of their competitors. I had a chance to buy one for the Allstate. The seller and I were several thousand dollars apart on the price.
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I also have one of the '54 Aero facts books but I have not seen other years but I'm sure that they must have had them for the salesmen. Chrysler made up those books for most of their competitors. I had a chance to buy one for the Allstate. The seller and I were several thousand dollars apart on the price.
That's just beyond reason but you see it all the time. I think I was under 150 + shipping if I remember right. Relisted on ebay more than once before I decided I couldn't let it pass.
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I would love to scan and post the aero facts book!
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The hardest Facts Book for me to find was the '51 Frazer but there are other Dealer books that are seldom seen like the Allstate dealers book, the 1951 book "Big 5 drive" which has four letters to send to prospects for Henry J and four for Kaiser buyers. Another Big 5 Drive book is the 24 page illustrated "Salesman's Guide". A 1949 illustrated salesmans book called "A Winning Combination" shows how to sell the new 1949 Kaisers and Frazers. A 1951 book was prepared for prospective dealers called ""Kaiser Frazer Presents, a Proposal for Affiliation". A differently styled 1951 book titled "Kaiser Frazer is a Tomorrow-Minded Company. Now You Can be a Part of This Success in green and white and black print. The 1952 version used Purple, black and white print. A similar but different styled book for 1952 illustrates the '51 Frazer, '51 Kaiser '52 Virginian and '52 Manhattan and '52 Henry J Vagabond with tail lights in the rear panel and Corsairs with tail lights in the fins and all in one book. I only have one ad where a 1950 Kaiser Traveler and 1951 Frazer Vagabond are advertised together so there was some carryover in those years. Another 1951 dealer book titled "Kaiser-Frazer Recognizes Fleet Business is Big Business" is sixteen pages and made to stand up. A 12"x14 1/2" hardbound book was made by the Electric Auto-lite Company titled "A Salute to Kaiser and Kaiser Dealers throughout the world". This consists of many photographs attached to hard pages of Kaiser Dealers and their Auto-lite display booths throughout the country in 1953. Most of these books appear to be hand assembled and made in limited quantities. No doubt that there are many more and they all add to the lore of Kaiser Frazer. I have left out the more common Facts and Dealers books that were available to dealers and salesmen during the K-F years.
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Speaking of the "salute to" book, I own the "A salute to Willys" books. They are hand made and were presented to Ward Canaday on April 23, 1952 by R.G. Martin, president of Autolite. I bought them at a pre-war Willys club meet many years ago. The meet was being held at the hotel next to my office so I walked over at lunch...just in time for the auction, and ended up with the two albums.
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Wanna sell one of those books, Joe Frazer? Or scan them complete?
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Unfortunately, the binding is so brittle that any attempt to open them flat for scanning will ruin the spine.
And they are most definitely not for sale!