When Kaiser-Frazer told the stockholders in January 1947 it planned to acquire the Frazer car operations of Graham-Paige, they said that Frazer production would be dictated by dealer/distributor orders rather than the ratio of 2 Kaisers to 1 Frazer. 1947 Production was nearly 50/50 Kaiser and Frazer cars which further supports the policy shift. As the competition got back to full production the Frazer became a tough sell for the dealer network. By 1949, the Frazer was outclassed in a number of respects compared to the other cars in the upper medium price field. For the price of a basic Standard F495 Frazer (MSRP) you could get an Oldsmobile or even a base-line Packard with automatic transmission and an 8 cylinder engine. The distribution system only ordered what they could sell. Around 40% of all Kaiser and Frazer cars built in calendar year 1949 were Kaiser Travelers and the 4,500 or so Kaiser Vagabonds.
Orders for the 1951 Frazer reflected a couple things that were particular to the production run. First, the price of parts for the car reflected inventory write-downs. Any additional cars built after the actual run would have to be priced as much as $200.00 or so higher. Second, K-F was interested in using up vast stocks of leftover cars and major items (work in process on the assembly line, pre-cut interior fabrics, etc) at minimal loss. The cars were not priced to make money for the company. Any additional cars built after the actual run would have to be priced to be profitable. My numbers come from company Operating Reports from the period of March 31, 1950 through October 31, 1950. Hundreds of dollars were lost on each Frazer produced as 1951 models.
My estimates on selling prices for a 1951 Frazer F515 standard 4-door sedan put this car (6 cylinder, and without overdrive) above the price of a base-line Cadillac with V-8 engine and automatic transmission. Do you think that dealers could have sold them in large numbers under conditions like that?
For more info on this, checy BUILT TO BETTER THE BEST in the section that covers the start of the 1951 K-F model year. The company felt the future lay in a lower-priced, dressed-up car like the Nash Rambler. Hudson, Studebaker and even Packard agreeed rolling out a lower-priced version of the mainline product (Pacemaker and Hudson Jet, Champion and the Scottsman, along with the Clipper).
