Makes › Kaiser › Darrin (DKF-161) · Rare production · 1954 Very Rare
Kaiser
Darrin (DKF-161)
Fiberglass sports roadster with sliding doors (Howard 'Dutch' Darrin design)
Still being researched: identification guide. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Ohnoitsjamie (talk · contribs) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 435 Built
- Years
- 1954
- Engine
- Inline six, F-head (Willys) · 2,600 cc / 2.6 LFactory: 2.6 L
- Power
- 67.1 kW / 91.2 PSFactory: 90 hp · converted
- Top speed
- 153 km/hFactory: 95 mph · converted
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Howard A. "Dutch" Darrin
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 300 (independently researched)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Kaiser-Darrin was an early American fibreglass-bodied sports car, shown just before the Corvette. Its sliding doors that disappear into the front fenders were Howard Darrin's own 1946 patent. The low-powered Willys engine and high price meant weak sales and production ended after fewer than 500 cars.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionmore than 300 of the 435 built survive (HowStuffWorks, citing Consumer Guide); a lower bound | 3002 | Surviving examples | Independently researched |
| Total model productionproduction Darrins (excluding prototypes) | 4351 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Howard Darrin built the car at his own expense on a Henry J chassis in 1952, and Henry Kaiser first objected that the firm was not in the sports-car business before agreeing to build it. Production changes included separate trunk and top-well lids, a one-piece windscreen and a switch to a single-carburettor F-head Willys six. Bodies were supplied by Glasspar.
The production car reached showrooms in early 1954 at $3,668, more than a Cadillac 62. When Kaiser-Willys left the US car market in 1955, Darrin fitted Cadillac V8s to about 100 leftover cars.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Darrin (DKF-161).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Inline six, F-head (Willys)3 Independently researched |
| Cylinders | 64 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 2,600 cc / 2.6 LFactory: 2.6 L3 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Single carburettor5 Independently researched |
| Power | 67.1 kW / 91.2 PSFactory: 90 hp · converted3 Independently researchedSupercars.net quotes 125 bhp with a triple-carburettor set-up, which Consumer Guide says belonged to the earlier engine; the production car used a single carburettor. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | 183 NmFactory: 135 lb-ft · converted3 Independently researched |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | 3-speed manual with overdrive3 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | 33 Independently researched |
| Driven wheels | RWD3 Independently researched |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Steel frame (Henry J chassis)6 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Control arms, coil springs3 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | Live axle, leaf springs3 Independently researched |
| Brakes | Drums3 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Fibreglass body6 Independently researched |
| Wheelbase | 2,540 mmFactory: 100 in · converted6 Independently researched |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | 986.6 kgFactory: 2,175 lb · converted3 Independently researchedSupercars.net gives 2176 lb (987.9 kg). |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | 153 km/hFactory: 95 mph · converted4 Independently researchedsupercars.net gives about 96 mph. |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| 0–60 mph | 15 s4 Independently researched |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Lang Collection (museum) – 1954 Kaiser Darrin Level B
- 435 production Darrins (excluding prototypes)
-
2
Kaiser-Darrin Level C Auto Editors of Consumer Guide · HowStuffWorks (Consumer Guide text) · 2013-11-15
- more than 300 surviving Darrins
-
3
Collectible Classic: 1954 Kaiser Darrin Level C Automobile Magazine (David Zenlea) · 2012-09-11
- 90-hp Willys engine ... 2.6L F-head I-6
- 2.6L F-head I-6
- 2.6L F-head I-6, 90 hp, 135 lb-ft
- 90 hp, 135 lb-ft
- 3-speed manual with overdrive
- DRIVE Rear-wheel
- SUSPENSION, FRONT Control arms, coil springs
- SUSPENSION, REAR Live axle, leaf springs
- BRAKES Drums
- WEIGHT 2175 lb
-
4
1954 Kaiser Darrin Level C conceptcarz.com
- 6 cyl., 161.00 CID., 90.00hp
- top speed was reached at 95 miles per hour
- Zero to sixty mph was accomplished in 15 seconds
-
5
Kaiser-Darrin Level C HowStuffWorks (Consumer Guide) · 2013-11-15
- switched to the F-head Willys version of the Henry J six, with single carburetor
-
6
1954 Kaiser-Darrin Convertible Level D Supercars.net
- Fiberglass Body over Steel Frame
- wheelbase 2540 mm / 100 in
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