History
Kaiser Henry J
The Henry J represented Henry Kaiser's vision of an affordable car for post-war America, priced under $1,400 when introduced. Designer Howard 'Dutch' Darrin created clean, modern styling that still looks good today, though cost-cutting meant no trunk lid or glove box in base models. Willows six-cylinder or four-cylinder engines provided economical transportation. The American market wasn't ready for such austerity, preferring slightly larger used cars, leading to disappointing sales. Ironically, the design found success in Japan where it became the basis for early Nissan products.