Howard "Dutch" Darrin was not, by most accounts, very happy to work with Kaiser Motors. A freelancer by trade, he often penned bold, brash and furiously futuristic designs that simply didn't work for a commercial market, and stormed out of the company's headquarters more than once because their 'orange juicers', as he often called the internal design department, had crushed his designs into something more conventional. While the Kaiser bods had found him amiable enough, getting between the cantankerous man and the final product had proven a fiery old game.

All the same, in 1951, they wanted something bold. Standout. No doubt pulling on their collars, wiping their brow and reaching for the phone, they gave 'Dutch' a ring... unfortunately, the Henry J was, once again, more staid and professional than he had penned, and he walked out for the second time only the next year.

Darrin decided to go it by himself. He took a Henry J and got to work, privately, with Bill Tritt, on an all-fibreglass sports car and later invited Henry Kaiser to take a look. There was a brutal argument, but 'Dutch' managed to come out on top, thanks to the fact Mrs Kaiser dubbed it the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

It was revealed to the public two years before the Corvette would arrive on the market, and it seemed like a perfect bit of timing. But the Darin was delayed, partially as they couldn't find a suitably sporty powerplant. In 1953, their merger with Willys-Overland brought the Willys F-head straight-six to their ranks, and they finally got to work. Tragically, the car wouldn't arrive on showrooms until 1954, and the Corvette had already swallowed an enormous part of the market share.

The Darrin has since become a tragic, but incredibly fascinating story. It's one of the boldest cars ever built in the USA, loaded with complex design cues and a distinctive 'puckering' grille that's impossible to ignore. The doors are unconventional 'sliding' designs, the soft-top locks into three positions rather than simply clipping shut over the cabin, and the handling is superb - but it was too little, too late for Kaiser Motors. The company was failing, and after a labour strike, a loss of lease and a freak snow storm, it was all too much to keep up with. The remaining cars were sold to Darren for him to refit as specials - which, ironically, proved to set the car far closer to the top of its class.

Early Kaiser Darrins have become vanishingly rare - only 453 were built in its sole production year (In retrospect, not too far removed from other sports cars of the period) and they stand out as an utterly remarkable story about cantankerous designers, an ill-fated innovative company and a genuine effort to change conventional motor car design.

This particular Darrin, with its Champagne White paint and contrasting red interior, was the 367th built, and is technically a single-owner car from new. It's covered a scant 58,978 miles from new, having spent much of its life parked, and was meticulously restored by an expert engineer a few decades ago. Since then, it's largely been kept in dry, secure storage, and is now ready for a return to the road.

The provenance is well worth a look over, the condition is second-to-none and the design is still every bit as remarkable as ever it was. This isn't one to be missed - it's a true showstopper.

Let's not beat around the bush - if 'bold' is a byword for 'odd', the Darrin epitomises it. These are one of the strangest-looking cars of the era - boldly designed with a post-futurist eye for almost every aspect, every line and every detail of its unique shape. The car, designed by the ever-eccentric Howard "Dutch" Darrin, makes use of sliding doors on tracks, intended to keep the car's smooth shape unbroken, and while it was a remarkably unusual design, it couldn't be denied it was a talking point. 

The front façade is an odd, thing too. The tiny grille seems to be puckering up for a kiss, the bold concave lines evoke the likes of a sea shell, and the entire thing is built out of high-tech fibreglass, at the time the first for an American car. Is it any wonder that now it attracts so many stares? It certainly would have when brand new, too. 

So, our specific example embodies all of that in style - carrying a Champagne White livery, topped with a red 3-position soft top and its original steel wheels. It's a remarkably bright, contrasting profile for any car to carry - but on the Darrin, it picks out every bold, curvy line.

It's free of any cracks or splits to the fibreglass, everything is lifting and sliding as it should, and we understand that it's been kept true-to-factory. It all makes for a remarkably special classic car, and one that'll stand out just about anywhere. 

The futurist eye continues in the Darrin's cabin. It's simple and elegant, neat and distinctly no-fuss, designed to give the exterior's flamboyance plenty of space to flaunt itself. The driver is greeted by a sporty, three-spoke steering wheel, a curved instrument panel that houses a large speedometer and neatly arranged gauges. The ignition and controls are neatly arranged, too, with toggle switches instead of bulky knobs, and it's all wrapped in a rather plush dash-pad. 

The condition is excellent, with no rips or tears, very clean upholstery, clean carpets and everything working as expected. The doors are sliding on their rails correctly with no issues to note, and even the boot looks in fine order - proudly carrying box files of an impressive history, too. 

Powered by the Willys 'Hurricane' straight-six, the Darrin isn't a record-breaking speed machine, but it's certainly robust. These cars carry familiar mechanics that defy the car's otherwise very unusual personality, and our example is reportedly running very well, with the perky engine and fine ride quality all present and correct for the lucky new owner. 

The engine bay is in fine order, bordering on spotless, and we've no reports of any concerns. Put simply, this excellent pedigree Darrin is ready and waiting to go. 

 

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