NEWS RELEASE
Oakland Museum of California
www.museumca.org

10TH & OAK STREETS
OAKLAND, CA  94607

For additional information:
Shirleen Schermerhorn
510/238-3402, M-F, MEDIA ONLY
PUBLIC CALLS: 510/238-2200
E-mail: shirleen@museumca.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2004

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DISPLAYS OF POST-WWII KAISER-FRAZER AUTOS
COMPLEMENT EXHIBITION ON THE LIFE OF HENRY J. KAISER

The Cars of Kaiser-Frazer: A Car for Everyone
April 17-July 11, 2004

Klassic Kaiser Karz
Sunday, April 18, 12-5 p.m.

Henry J. Kaiser: Think Big
Exhibition through Aug. 29, 2004

In 1945, legendary California industrialist Henry J. Kaiser partnered with automobile executive Joe Frazer to respond to the American consumer's postwar demand for cars, mounting the last real American challenge to Detroit's Big Three automakers. Some of these Kaiser-Frazer automobiles from the 1940s and '50s will be on view during two special showings this April at the Oakland Museum of California, in conjunction with the exhibition Henry J. Kaiser: Think Big, which continues through August 29, 2004.

From April 17 through July 11, 2004, the exhibit The Cars of Kaiser-Frazer: A Car for Everyone showcases three Kaiser Frazer automobiles in the Great Hall of the museum. The vintage cars are a gray 1949 Kaiser Vagabond, owned by Bob and Shirley Gilzean of Chico, California; a rare blue on blue 1948 Frazer Manhattan, owned by Ralph Miller of Orangevale, California; and a 1953 Kaiser Manhattan two-door sedan, owned by Bruce Kiser of Sacramento.
The Vagabond was an innovative automobile, among the first to incorporate a hatchback lift gate and drop-down tailgate, allowing the vehicle's owner to convert the four-door sedan to a spacious station wagon or all-purpose camping vehicle. The Gilzeans' Vagabond has glistening, varnished wooden bed slats to carry cargo.

The Kaiser and Frazer Manhattan series were mainstays of the company lineup. Kaiser and Frazer automobiles were manufactured at Kaiser's Willow Run, Michigan, factory from 1946 to 1955, when declining sales forced the closing of Kaiser's domestic operations. He moved production to Argentina and Brazil, where the company turned out a series of sedans, trucks and Jeeps until the company was sold to a combine of Ford and Renault owners in the late 1960s.

On Sunday, April 18, the museum will host Klassic Kaiser Karz, a free outdoor showing of Kaiser and Frazer automobiles, from noon to 5 p.m., on 10th Street between Oak and Fallon Streets. Some 25 vehicles are expected, including a lineup of rare convertibles, top of the line Dragon sedans, and Henry J compact coupes as well as some modified Henry J racecars.

The exhibition Henry J. Kaiser: Think Big, on view at the Oakland Museum of California through August 29, 2004, surveys the life and various industrial ventures of Henry J. Kaiser (1882-1967), one of the most influential individuals in the history of modern California and the West Coast. Included are Kaiser's role in building the great dams of the west; his shipbuilding, automobile and futuristic transportation projects; and his most enduring legacy, Kaiser Permanente—America's largest not-for-profit health care organization. The exhibition, curated by Michael Dobrin for the Oakland Museum of California, contains artifacts (including a rare Kaiser Darrin sports car and a 1953 Henry J Corsair Sedan), photos, magazine and newspaper articles, and videos reflecting Kaiser's impact on the modern economic and cultural landscape.

The exhibition and associated events are made possible by the generous support of Kaiser Permanente; Cornell C. Maier; Mr. and Mrs. Peter Bedford; Jane G. Logan; S. H. Cowell Foundation; Edgar Kaiser, Jr.; The Henry J. Kaiser Foundation; Oakland Museum Women's Board; William G. Gilmore Foundation; Elizabeth and Stephen Bechtel, Jr. Foundation; Robert and Alice Bridges Foundation; Kaiser Ventures; and more than 100 other individuals, foundations and companies.

The Oakland Museum of California is devoted to the environment, history and art of the state. The museum is located at Oak and 10th Streets in downtown Oakland, one block from the Lake Merritt BART station and four blocks from Highway 880. Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; first Friday of the month open until 9 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 seniors and students with ID, free for children five and under. Free admission the second Sunday of the month. For more information, call 510/238-2200 or visit the museum web site at www.museumca.org.