NORWICH – The latest addition to the new Nifty Fifties exhibit at the Northeast Classic Car Museum is a rare 1954 Kaiser-Darrin sports car, on loan from Norm Oliver of Niagara Falls. One of only 435 sold by Kaiser in 1954, the radical little two-seater has a fiberglass body, with sliding doors that disappear into the front fenders, a three-position convertible top, and a grille that says, “I want to kiss you!”

Designed by Howard “Dutch” Darrin, who had designed the other beautiful Kaiser cars beginning in 1951, the Kaiser-Darrin was one of several limited-production sports cars that took advantage of the light weight of the new fiberglass material (Chevrolet made one too). The fiberglass body permitted some design elements that would have been difficult using steel, and was produced under contract by Glasspar, a pioneer in the use of fiberglass.

Although Darrin had designed cars for Henry J. Kaiser for several years, the two men did not get along. When, in response to Kaiser’s request, Darrin came up with the Kaiser-Darrin design, Henry J. turned thumbs down on production. His wife, however, was quite taken by the prototype, and 435 cars were made. Then, when he was told that the headlights were 2” too low to meet federal regulations, Kaiser tinkered with Darrin’s design by raising the fenders. Darrin was furious when he found out, “explaining” that all that was needed was bigger wheels and tires.