Look for Imperfections in the Paint
There was only one engine: a long-stroke 226.2-cubic-inch flathead six, basically the Continental “Red Seal” design improved upon and mostly built by K-F. The Manhattan was some $400 more, but also elegantly upholstered in nylon and fine Bedford cord cloth keyed to exterior colors, which were typically two-tones. Frazer advertised it as the “Supersonic Six,” but with only 100/110 horsepower to push over 3300 pounds, no K-F car acted jet-propelled. At least the “Darrin-styled” body offered exceptional passenger room — including the industry’s widest front seat — 64 inches — and the rugged box-section chassis boasted modern front-coil/rear-leaf suspension. Initially, K-F built two Kaisers to each Frazer, reflecting the latter’s higher $2295 starting price — close to Cadillac territory.
The intent was to use up remaining 1949-50 bodyshells. Pillared sedans were assigned to Frazer’s standard line, but trimmed like 1950 Manhattans. K-F stylists had created numerous renderings for future Frazers based on Darrin’s sleek and low 1951 “Anatomic” Kaiser. But these and other plans were rendered stillborn when Joe Frazer left the company in early ’49. Two years later, the Kaisers were busy with their new small car, the Henry J — and leftover ’51 Kaisers. Thus, leftover Kaiser Vagabond utility sedans (with double hatchback and folding rear seat) became standard-trim ’51 Frazer Vagabonds, while Kaiser Virginian four-door “hardtops” were made into 1951 Frazer Manhattans. Encouraged by the belated arrival of Hydra-Matic as a $159 option, dealers ordered 55,000 of the ’51 Frazers, but received only 10,214. The Frazer was dead. In retrospect, they really should have listened to Joe.
They usually got what they wanted — though at a price, the main reason the cars cost so much. Still, K-F racked up the highest output of any independent in 1947-48, with total volume sufficient for ninth place in the production race. They also looked good: very clean, with modest horizontal grilles (Frazer’s was a bit more ornate than Kaiser’s) and little decorative chrome or sculptured sheetmetal, reflecting Darrin’s design ideals. And why not? Both the Kaiser and Frazer had the advantage of being all-new cars with no prewar links, and both were readily available (though competitors were fast returning to prewar production levels).
Frazer and Kaiser met, hit it off, and formed Kaiser-Frazer Corporation in July 1945, with Frazer as president, Kaiser as board chairman. Two versions were planned: a medium-price Kaiser and a luxury Frazer. It seemed a match made in automotive heaven: Joe’s redoubtable sales acumen married to Henry J.’s vast manufacturing resources. After considering several proposals (including a radical front-drive design), they settled on a conventional rear-drive four-door sedan with modern flush-fender styling by renowned custom-body designer Howard A. “Dutch” Darrin. The end product wasn’t all Darrin’s work — nor entirely to his satisfaction — but it was smooth and fairly stylish for the period, with the arguable exception of the high blunt hood.
By 1956, Lee believed that the PAP “had been captured by the communists” and privately endorsed the Labour Front government purge of suspected “leftists” in the aftermath of the 1956 Chinese middle schools riots. Lee refused to allow his allies to assume their appointments and said that his faction had “lost their moral right” to enforce the party’s founding philosophy. The arrestees included his rival Lim and several other PAP members.
In 2016, Lee was conferred the Order of the Paulownia Flowers. The former college is not to be confused with Raffles Institution which Lee also attended as part of his secondary education. Alan Chan Heng Loon, Singapore-China Foundation chairman and Lee’s chief private secretary, said that Mr. Lee’s administration did a lot to build China-Singapore ties. The award was backdated to 23 March 2015, the date of his death. In former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping’s southern tour, he urged Chinese leaders to learn from the Singapore model. In December 2018, China conferred a posthumous China Reform Friendship Medal on Lee for his “critical role in promoting Singapore’s participation in China’s reform journey”.
