Makes › Kaiser › Dragon · Rare production · 1953 Rare
Kaiser
Dragon
Top-line Manhattan with gold-plated trim and 'bambu' vinyl, priced above a Cadillac 62
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA · CC BY 2.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 1,277 Built
- Years
- 1953
- Engine
- Inline six, side-valve · 3,707 cc / 3.7 LFactory: 226.2 cu in · converted
- Power
- 88 kW / 120 PSFactory: 118 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Carleton Spencer (interior)
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The 1953 Hardtop Dragon was the most luxurious Kaiser ever built, a six-cylinder sedan with a distinctive gold-plated and vinyl interior. It listed at more than a Cadillac Series Sixty-Two four-door.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Kaiser Dragon (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA · CC BY 2.0
Kaiser Dragon (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA · CC BY 2.0
Kaiser Dragon (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA · CC BY 2.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionDragons built for the 1953 model year | 1,2771 | 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
No Dragons were built for 1952. The 1953 Kaiser Hardtop Dragon, a six-cylinder sedan with an interior by Carleton Spencer, was the luxury model of the line.
It was the most luxurious Kaiser of its time and was listed at $258 more than a Cadillac Series Sixty-Two sedan. Underneath it was still a six-cylinder sedan with the same chassis family as the rest of the line.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Dragon.
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, side-valve2 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 3,707 cc / 3.7 LFactory: 226.2 cu in · converted2 Independently researchedSource table prints 'cc'; the figure is evidently cubic inches. |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 88 kW / 120 PSFactory: 118 hp · converted2 Independently researchedTable header 'Horsepower'; no rating standard. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Automatic (standard equipment)2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | 3,010 mmFactory: 118.5 in · converted2 Independently researched |
| Length | 5,362 mmFactory: 211.1 in · converted2 Independently researched |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | 1,510 kgFactory: 3,320 lb · converted2 Independently researched |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| 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
1953 Kaiser Dragon – Gooding & Company Scottsdale 2018, lot 25 Level B
- 1277 Dragons built for the 1953 model year
-
2
1953 Kaiser Hardtop Dragon Level C Auto Editors of Consumer Guide · HowStuffWorks (Consumer Guide text) · 2020-08-11
- sv I-6 | 226.2 | 118 | 1953
- sv I-6 | 226.2 cc | 118
- sv I-6 | 226.2 cc | 118 | 1953
- Standard equipment included automatic transmission
- Wheelbase, inches : 118.5
- Length, inches : 211.1
- Weight, pounds : 3,320
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