A car you would think would gain more popularity than it did. Ahead of its time and more modern than other American cars, but not popular with American car buyers.
It must have been difficult to predict how the car market in the United States would develop immediately after the war. But one thing was certain. Since the American settlement and infrastructure were built on motoring, sooner or later everyone would have to acquire a car. In the early years after the war, car production had not really taken off, and many people had not yet got their finances back on track. It was this situation that made Henry J. Kaiser to build a "low cost" car. It would be cheap to produce, cheap to purchase and cheap to drive. The model "Henry J" went on sale in 1950 with a self-supporting body, 4-cylinder Jeep engine, 3-speed manual transmission and space for 4 adults. Compared to other models at the same time, the cars were sparingly equipped, without lavish chrome and ornaments. To further reduce costs, they did not make a trunk, glove compartment and armrests - nor the possibility of opening the rear windows.
The cars were modern for their time and, as the cheapest car model on the American market, it was a good alternative to used cars. In 1950, the used car fleet consisted of pre-war models. Nevertheless, the cars did not become very popular. Developments in the automotive industry after the war had progressed much faster than expected. The major car manufacturers had reached full production and offered cars with a focus on V8 engines, space and luxury – and new models every year. In 1951, the Henry J was upgraded with a 6-cylinder engine (also from Willys-Overland, I believe). In addition, the cars received a trunk, glove compartment and more chrome. Seen from today's eyes, the Henry J was a modern car, but it was not a success. One of Kaiser's problems was that their dealer network was limited compared to the major car manufacturers. In 1952, Kaiser and Sears therefore joined forces to sell the cars under the model name Allstate through Sears department stores across the United States – a sales model that might have worked today. But in 1952, people weren't ready to buy a car at a shopping mall.
Henry J in Norway
There are about 10 cars in Norway. EAC (Eight Amcars Club) aims to preserve 8 car brands that lost the battle against the big ones. All the cars in the pictures in this post belong to the club's members. Interestingly, many of the cars were first registered in Norway in the 1950s.
If the cars weren't such a hit in the US, they could have been perfect for Norway. Although it's hard to say, since ordinary people couldn't freely buy cars at the time. But several cars still found their way here.
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