KAISER’S Quirky Compact
It took more than a little confidence to claim the title of “the most important new car in America,” even allowing for the further claim that the 1951 Henry J was, “by far the best combination on wheels of smartness, toughness and thrift.” No car could ever live up to that kind of boasting, but hype aside, the Henry J should probably be remembered as more of a near-miss than a failure, as well as both a product and a victim of its time.
Henry J. Kaiser — for whom the car was obviously named — had made a fortune in construction and in World War II shipbuilding. Becoming an automaker was a logical next step for him after the war’s end, since almost no
