I spotted Phil Jelinek’s beautiful ’53 Kaiser Traveler Deluxe from across the Huntington Beach Concours show field. That is because this elegant, sporty looking automobile is even more distinctive today than it was when it was first introduced nearly 70 years ago. Its elegant design stands out when positioned next to other cars of its era, and is all the more unique when compared to the homogenous looking doorstops we drive today.
The ’53 Kaiser styling is pure Howard “Dutch” Darrin, with its low belt line dip at the rear door, and low, hooded and padded dash. Coaxing Darrin to design their new line was a real coup for Kaiser Frazer. Dutch Darrin got his start in Paris designing custom bodies for the likes of Minerva and Duesenberg. Later, he moved to Southern California and started Darrin of Hollywood, where he built his beautiful Packard Darrin roadsters for movie stars and playboys. Darrin’s custom creations were so successful that the Packard sales brochures even included them.
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