What year do you suppose this was taken?

[greg g]

[Don Coatney]

1954

[Uncle-Pekka]

I would also guess 1954 like Don C.

Anyway, the sedan in the 2nd row, 2nd car from right to left.

Is that a Kaiser or what?

[randroid]

Folks,

I'd say more like '51 because those are used cars and the Studebaker in the second row has a late 40's air to it. All just conjecture on my part.

-Randy

[Plymouthy Adams]

Randy..look closer at the Plymouth under the name Smith on the sign..

[Uncle-Pekka]

Yes, exactly - I also based my assumption on the very same Plymouth 2D.

Of course it could be any year after '54, but there are several same color pickup trucks in the back row, which could be new at the time...

Therefore I would not guess, say, 1959...

However, Ahem, I kind of asked for conversation over the Kaiser...

Here in North Europe Kaiser seems to be the most long gone of all dead marquees. Very few left, very few people know or appreciate them. On top of all they had assembly lines in Holland and Israel, resulting vague reputation. "not really an american car". The henry J's made in Haifa Israel were all crap - at least that's what my father & all other senior craftsmen been telling me.

On the other hand the fifties Kaiser Manhattans are really good looking cars. Also nice interiors - I wonder are they after all so bad?

[randroid]

Uncle-Pekka,

Even in the early 60's Kaisers were getting scarce in California. I knew a few families that would drive nothing else, one of them had two for driving and one for parts. The story behind them was they were too advanced for their time, like Studebaker and Tucker, but I haven't heard anything else about them in almost fifty years.

-Randy

[greg g]

Kaisers kinda shot their bolt when they wanted to be compared to Cadillac in quality. They kept thier contenental 6 but put a paxton supercharger on it, but in the minds of Americans all "quality cars" had v8's. they certainly went upscale with split bamboo accents in the Manhattan Dragon, but after 50/51, assembly quality and low inventory due to metal shortages fromt he Korean war left Kaiser Frazer and Hudson, Packard, ad several other low volume brands in deep financial trouble from wich they never recovered.

There are several around here that show up from time to time at shows and cruise ins. Always interesting to look at, but not real popular here either.

[Reg Evans]

Judging from all the Dodge trucks with the split windshields and that Plymouth under the Smith sign I would say it's 1953. In 1954 the Dodge trucks went to a 1 piece windshield.

[BobT-47P15]

That looks like maybe a 1950 Kaiser judging by the triangular chrome item

on the front of the hood........

[B-Watson]

That looks like maybe a 1950 Kaiser judging by the triangular chrome item

on the front of the hood........

That's actually a 1951 Frazer. The green convertible is a Manhatten model while the one in the old photo is a base sedan.

I wouldn't put the photo any earlier than the fall of 1952. Note the new looking 1953 Plymouth club coupe with the wide whites and Dodge sedan under the "Dodge Plymouth" dealer sign.

Bill

Vancouver, BC

[greg g]

Remember this is the used car lot, new cars were at the main dealership.

[greg g]

looks like the inventory turns over pretty good at Munson's used car lot

[pflaming]

Referencing picture #1 there is a 38+/- "Plymouth". IF that is a '54 picture that car was 16 years old when the picture was taken. Probably had about the same engine as the '53. Is that a fair statement?

[Englishbob]

1958--no reason just the year I was born:D