1953 Kaiser Dragon - $39,900 - Orange Village, OH - 1953 Kaiser Golden Dragon
• Authentic gold-plated exterior ornamentation
• Factory padded vinyl top
• Fabulous ‘mid-century modern’ interior
Vintage Motor Cars USA is pleased to offer this fine example of one of the most desirable Kaisers ever—the special edition 1953 Golden Dragon. After receiving a frame-on restoration, this car was kept in a private museum. Its beautiful paint is blemish-free and the chrome is near perfect—as is the interior. The odometer shows just under 57,500 original miles.
Wealthy industrialist Henry J. Kaiser partnered with auto industry veteran Joseph Frazer to build new automobiles for the post-World War II American market. The first cars bearing their names appeared as 1947 models. The Golden Dragon is based on the second-generation Kaiser sedan, which debuted in 1951.
Stylishly modern, the 1951 Kaiser was designed with input from famed independent designer Howard “Dutch” Darrin and future Studebaker chief stylist Duncan McRae. Carleton B. Spencer, who’d selected and coordinated the exterior colors and interior trim for Kaisers from the beginning, developed the 1953 Golden Dragon. The trend-setting car would be his masterpiece.
Topping the Kaiser line for 1953, the Golden Dragon included virtually every available factory option as standard equipment. Features unique to the Golden Dragon model included a vinyl-covered top, special exterior trim and a two-tone vinyl-and-cloth custom interior. Extra sound insulation gave it the quiet ride of a true luxury car.
A GM-sourced four-speed Hydra-Matic transmission was priced into the Golden Dragon’s MSRP. It was mated to the standard Kaiser inline L-head six engine, built for the automaker by Continental Motors. Other Kaiser options bundled for the Golden Dragon were tinted windows, AM pushbutton radio with rear speaker, windshield washer and a fresh-air heater. Its standard Kaiser 15” wheels sported full covers and wide white-sidewall tires.
This Golden Dragon is additionally equipped with power steering, a new Kaiser option for 1953. It also has dual fog lamps and spotlights. As equipped, it would have listed new for about $4,000—an amount comparable to the price of a new Cadillac, Lincoln or Chrysler Imperial at the time.
The 1953 Golden Dragon was the first production car to sport a gold-plated hood ornament and other emblems (the plating is real 14K gold). Like other 1953 Kaisers, this prestige model retained the 1951 design’s pop-out “safety” windshield and padded instrument panel.
Four two-tone exterior color schemes were offered for the 1953 Golden Dragon. Among them was the Jade Green with white vinyl top combination seen on the offered car. The wide-whitewall tires are 7.10x15 B.F. Goodrich Silvertowns.
The Golden Dragon’s interior was trimmed in ivory “Bambu” vinyl (textured to resemble real bamboo) and green “Laguna” patterned cloth. A gold-plated plaque affixed to the padded instrument panel was engraved with the original owner’s name.
Ionia Manufacturing Co. handled the final assembly and trim work for the Golden Dragons. The firm, which specialized in short-run special builds for auto manufacturers, had a very busy year in 1953. Even as they turned out Golden Dragons for Kaiser, they also completed Caribbean convertibles for Packard, built the last wood bodies for Buick station wagons, and provided fiberglass hoods for the second-series Nash-Healey—among other projects. Before the year was out, Ionia Mfg. became a subsidiary of the Mitchell-Bentley Corp.
During 1953, Henry J. Kaiser completed a buy-out merger with Willys, makers of Jeep utility vehicles. Kaiser automobile production continued through 1955 in the U.S., after which the company concentrated on Jeep models.
The 1953 Golden Dragons were the most richly appointed of all Kaisers. With their bright colors, high-fashion interiors and special accents, they are highly sought by Kaiser collectors and aficionados of 1950s car design.
By its serial number, this Golden Dragon is number 1,236 of the 1,277 produced by Kaiser for 1953. The car was for many years part of the now-dispersed Mitchell Corporation Automobile Museum collection in Owosso, Michigan.
The 1953 Golden Dragons is a rare, intriguing and historically significant automobile that shows exceptionally well. It is sure to attract plenty of appreciative attention whenever and wherever it is driven or exhibited.