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It’s purported that when Mr. Kaiser looked at Dutch Darrin’s bold designs for a new fiberglass-bodied roadster, he was undecided about whether to produce the car. At that point, Mrs. Kaiser walked in, saw the drawings, really liked the design, and asked if her husband would be producing the car. The rest is history. Unfortunately, Kaiser didn’t have the deep pockets necessary to keep improving the car, a la the Corvette, so the sleek sports roadster was only produced for three years.
I don’t usually collect 1:43 scale images but this one was of one of my favorite cars, the Kaiser Darrin, and a 1:24 scale model wasn’t available. This particular image, by the British firm Brooklin, is a static image, made of an almost solid piece of die cast metal. The details are very good for a model in this small scale. Though I would have liked to see a more exciting color (no, not red) than the pale mint green used. Nevertheless, the paint’s nicely applied. The windshield and (3) rearview mirrors are packed separately and can be placed on the image without glue for display purposes. We’re not talking plastic parts either – all chromed parts are die cast metal. Ironically, the small size doesn’t mean a small price tag. I’ve seen some of these images go for hundreds of dollars new (no wonder 1:43 die cast aficionados consider the 1:24 and larger scales “toys”). Perhaps relatively low production runs are part of the reason. Considering the above, Brooklin images are pretty much of a bargain at under $100. I got mine from Dominion Models over the phone for $78. (You can reach Bob at 540 375-3750).
The automotive industry is rife with stories of worthy cars that didn’t endure. The Kaiser Darrin is one sterling example. Perhaps it wasn’t merely Kaiser’s financial condition that did it in – the car faced competition from Chevrolet’s Corvette and Ford’s Thunderbird – a powerful one-two punch. Too bad.
(10/21/2002)
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