FRAZER

Kaiser-Frazer Corp. (1946-1951)
Willow Run, Michigan

This is a Frazer radiator emblem (1946-1950)    mjs
Size: 140mm high 86mm wide    MM: A.E. Co.

The Frazer was the top of the line of the luxury automobiles built by the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation of Willow Run, Ypsilanti, Michigan, and was one of the first American cars with entirely new body styling after the Second World War and set new standards of design. The Frazer body style was designed by Howard "Dutch" Darrin and won the Fashion Academy of New York Gold Medal.

The Frazer was named after Joseph W. Frazer who was president and general manager of Kaiser-Frazer Corporation.  Production began in May 1946 and the Frazer Manhattan made its public debut on June 29, 1946. There was one basic four-door sedan body shell that was shared with the similar but lower-priced Kaiser (see Kaiser). The Frazer was powered by a Continental Red Seal "Supersonic" L-head six engine, which achieved 115 hp by the end of Frazer production at the conclusion of the 1951 model year. 

The Frazer Manhattan was restyled for the 1951 model year and models included a four-door convertible, a hardtop sedan, and a unique hatchback sedan, the Frazer Vagabond. These Frazer cars, which were facelifted leftover 1950 models, were introduced in March 1950 and were an immediate hit with the public. Over 50,000 orders were placed, but Joseph W. Frazer had left the company and the Kaiser-Frazer management decided to concentrate on Kaiser production when the supply of leftover Frazer bodies ran out.

Emblems

The first Frazer cars introduced in 1946 carried a shield shaped hood emblem displaying the Frazer coat of arms, see the Frazer sales brochure cover illustration shown below:

Frazer brochure cover showing radiator emblem (1947) autopaper

The red, blue and gold enamel Frazer hood emblem shown above at the top of this post was mounted on the front of the bull nosed hood just above the name "FRAZER" in individual chrome letters, see example shown below:

Frazer hood emblem and name (1946-1948)   ms

The Frazer coat of arms was also displayed on the steering wheel center, see example below:

Frazer Manhattan steering wheel (1947)   wiki

There was a change in design for 1949-1950, when the hood lid was given a chrome band stamped with the "FRAZER" name on the bottom edge of the hood and with the Frazer hood emblem mounted lower down on the hood just overlapping the chrome name band, see example shown below:

Frazer Manhattan with Frazer name and hood emblem (1949-1950)
onallcylinders

The restyled Kaiser Manhattan models introduced in March 1950 for the 1951 model year carried a new colored plastic Frazer radiator emblem mounted in a large chrome unit above the radiator grille, see example shown below:

Frazer Manhattan showing radiator grille emblem (1951) conceptcarz 

The earliest versions of this multi-colored plastic Frazer emblem appears to have had a red crest and yellow/gold finish around the Frazer shield, see well worn example shown below. This Frazer radiator emblem is rare.

This is a Frazer Manhattan radiator emblem (c1950)  ms

The following Frazer Manhattan radiator emblem has a gold crest and finish surrounding the Frazer shield. This Frazer radiator emblem is scarce.

This is a Frazer radiator emblem (1951)    ms

The most usual version of this plastic Frazer radiator emblem had silver finished plastic around the Frazer shield, see example shown below. This Frazer radiator emblem is scarce.

This is a Frazer radiator emblem (1951)    ms

The Frazer coat of arms continued to be displayed on the steering wheel center, see below:

 

Kaiser Manhattan steering wheel center (1951)   ms