Possible Factory Prototype: 1953 Henry J Convertible
It's amazing how one company can come crashing down when one car fails to sell. For many companies that were independent of the Big Three, that one theme brought them all crashing down to the end of the line. For Kaiser, the Henry J was a big gamble that ended up not paying off. This 1953 Henry J is a convertible model, and is reportedly the first one built out of three prototypes. Find it here on Hemmings in Naples, Florida, with an asking price of $9,800 obo. Named for its chairman, Henry J. Kaiser, the Henry J was built from July 1950 to 1954. Marketed as the modern-day Model T, the Henry J was marketed for its fuel economy, with its crowning achievement winning the 1953 Mobil Economy Run. The problem with the Henry J was the Big Three's full-size cars were about the same price, and the lack of an opening trunk and roll-down windows in the rear were turnoffs for most buyers. Kaiser must have realized that he needed to improve ...