the 1951-54 Allstate, designed to sell through and by Sears-Roebuck department stores in the southern United States, was a slightly restyled Henry J.

 The cars were equipped with Allstate products (tires, battery, etc.). The modest styling changes distinguishing the Allstate from the Henry J were executed by Alex Tremulis.

The Henry J, while a well-meaning idea, but was hamstrung by various government requirements stemming from a re-capitalization loan the government made to the company in the fall of 1949 . Kaiser-Frazer labor agreements resulted in the company paying the highest wages of any American automaker and getting a productivity rate of only 60–65% in return

Kaiser-Frazer was able to work out deals with General Motors not only to get the GM Hydra-Matic automatic transmissions but had a signed deal for detuned Rocket 88 engines from Oldsmobile with deliveries starting in the 1952 model year. The deal was contingent on Olds being able to expand its Lansing, MI engine production facility; that expansion was cancelled due to factory expansion restrictions put in place by the government due to military needs during the Korean War

In 1950 Kaiser-Frazer began production of a compact car, the Henry J and ended production of the Frazer automobile ; both makes were 1951 model year automobiles. In 1952 and 1953 Kaiser-Frazer provided Sears Roebuck & Co. with Allstate-branded automobiles that Sears sold through selected Sears Auto Centers; these cars, extensively based on the Henry J Kaiser-Frazer dealers were selling did appear in the Sears "wish books" but the car could not be purchased by mail order

At the 1953 annual stockholders' meeting, Kaiser-Frazer Corporation's name was changed by stockholder vote to Kaiser Motors Corporation . Shortly before meeting, Kaiser-Frazer's Kaiser Manufacturing Corporation division worked out a deal to purchase certain assets (and assume certain liabilities) of the Willys-Overland Corporation, makers of Willys cars and Jeep vehicles . The purchase was made by Kaiser-Frazer's wholly owned subsidiary company, Kaiser Manufacturing Corporation. After completing the acquisition, Kaiser Manufacturing Corporation changed its name to Willys Motors, Incorporated . During late 1953 and 1954, Kaiser Motors operations at Willow Run Michigan were closed down or moved to the Willys facility in Toledo, Ohio .

https://gaukmotors.co.uk/motorpedia/car-make/kaiser 

Master Sergeant Alex Tremulis at the drawing board at Wright Field during World War II

I didn't know of his work in the military! His career with the US Air Force was in 1948 at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base on the concept of Military flying saucers.  https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search/label/flying%20saucer

Alex Tremulis designed cars since the age of 19, and his talent for drawing concept cars was eventually recognized by Duesenberg showroom sales manager, who hired the 20 year old Alex to draw customer's cars. One car Alex designed was the 1934 Duesenberg Model J LaGrande Convertible/Coupe.

After A-C-D folded in 1937, he briefly worked for GM, Briggs-LeBaron and then as a consultant for several other companies until the United States entered World War II. Tremulis joined the U.S. Army Air Force in 1941 and was assigned to Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, where he worked in the Aircraft Laboratory on Creative Advanced Designs of Aircraft through the use of wind tunnels.

Plus 11 years at Ford as the head of the advanced design studio, and head designer at Cord, Auburn, Deusenburg, he then became the chief designer for the ill fated Tucker automobile before joining Ford, and he designed the 1968 Studebaker prototype design for Indy

https://www.motorcities.org/story-of-the-week/2020/remembering-alex-tremulis-legendary-designer
https://www.mixanitouxronou.gr/aleks-tremoulis-o-ellinoamerikanos-pou-bike-sto-pantheon-tou-aftokinitou-sxediase-to-thryliko-tucker-48-me-4-portes-sto-opoio-xorousan-3-atoma-brosta-kai-3-piso-ebnefstike-to-diastimiko-leofor/
https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search?q=Tremulis

I had forgotten that Alex Tremulis designed a street sweeper... huh! I had forgotten until Dennis mentioned it, and I went to look it up. Thanks Dennis!

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2011/12/07/mobile-alabama-1940s

The one I posted yesterday didn't have the Austin Western lettering on it. But the two I posted in 2016 (and completely forgotten) did http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/austin-western-street-sweeper.html

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/461337555561706800/
https://www.adspast.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=40820

Austin-Western was the first road machinery company, with its origins dating back to the start of modern road building after the civil war. In the 1950's, as the Interstate highway commitment signaled the last of that great road infrastructure boom, Austin-Western was paired with Baldwin Locomotive, a holdover from the great age of steam.

https://www.worldsweeper.com/History/AustinWestern.html

Interesting story about Alex Tremulis and Harvey Earls frail ego

Having moved from his role as head designer at Cord, Auburn, Deusenburg upon that company's demise (note the exhausts), Tremulis went to work as part of Harley Earl's design team.

He was shortly thereafter dismissed for embarrassing his boss at the Company's Designers Picnic, by overtaking his Boss's new '38 Olds 8 cylinder; driving this same, antiquated '35 Ford (equipped with a 2 carb set-up from Henry Ford's disgraced 1938 Indy Ford/Miller racing fleet)

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/vintage-shots-from-days-gone-by.428585/page-6325

When Auburn Cord folded I went to the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors. One of the first things they wanted me to do was to buy a new Oldsmobile at special employee rates. I think they offered the car to us for $600. I still couldn’t afford a new car so I kept on driving the same old 1935 Ford Roadster, the first car I owned.

I really liked that Ford, especially after I put on the twin intake manifolds that came off of one of the 10 Ford Indianapolis race cars in 1935. At that time I had the only Ford on the street with dual intake carburetors. And because I couldn’t afford a Duesenberg, I had two exhaust pipes coming out the side. I had a lot of fun with that car. But unfortunately I did a dumb thing which was a stupid mistake on my part.

We had a big styling department picnic for the Oldsmobile Division. All of the stylists had just bought their new $600 1938 Oldsmobiles. All of them had 6 cylinders except the boss’s car which had eight cylinders. On the way to the picnic, the boss went by all the six’s, and then I made the mistake of going out after him, and passing him. I guess he was pretty embarrassed.

The next day I was called in to my supervisor’s office where I was told that what I had done had been in very poor taste. And that I should not have embarrassed the entire styling section with an old 1935 Ford. They even accused me of cheating because my car was practically a race car. I was told I had to give up the car. This I refused to do. In a matter of a month I was laid off.

I guess Roy Faulkner heard about me being out of work so he called and asked me to come back to Auburn. The Auburn Automobile Company had folded up by now, but they still had a subsidiary which was steel kitchens. There was a chap there by the name of Powell Crosley who had just developed a fantastic washing machine... the one with the round window. He made this washer pretty successful and he also wanted to build an automobile. So Roy wanted me to go down there and build the car.

So I went to Auburn...

http://www.gyronautx1.com/live-updates/alex-tremulis-first-car-1935ford-v8with-miller-ford-dual-carbs

Tucker Torpedo concept art

John Tucker, Preston Tucker’s grandson, said he’s ended up collecting a good amount of memorabilia related to his grandfather’s venture. Among that collection are a number of concept drawings by both Lawson and Tremulis, some of which he’ll display as part of this year’s Royal Oak Historical Society Museum’s exhibit on automotive concept art.

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2018/07/26/auto-renderings-exhibit-to-focus-on-early-tucker-designs/

Tuscan motors motorcycle designed by Alex Tremulis

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/

the Ramona Motor Coach Tra Voy, built over a stretched Olds Toronado chassis, and was front wheel drive. Made a run on El Mirage too, at 97 mph

Alex Tremulis was involved, he even drove it across the lakebed

1968 Studebaker prototype design for Indy

Found on https://www.pinterest.com/pin/466755948853958759/

Notice it's designed by Alex Tremulis http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2015/05/wow-found-in-box-in-barn-ufo-hood.html

Going racing on Bonneville or El Mirage is just cooler if you have a bitchin' push car, and a historic racing streamliner motorcycle. Both designed by Alex Tremulis

Full gallery of the Gyronaut X-1, http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-gyronaut-x-1.html 

Wow. Found in a box in the barn... the UFO hood ornament designed by Alex Tremulis

Taking me by surprise, I opened an email from Brian in Kansas late last night... and got the cool news that he found this rare hood ornament in a box in his grandfathers barn when he was 12 or 13. The newspaper it's wrapped in is a 1949, April 7th specifically.

He's somehow held onto it for about 45 years without that tip being broken and now is looking to find out what its worth, and sell it. Email him at redrocketman61@yahoo.com or his website http://brianwithaneye.com

According to the Hood Ornament Identification Guide http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/08/hood-ornament-identifiaction-guide.html it's a Gem, but the guide doesn't have specifics like what year it was made.

According to the correspondence and patent work, Alex Tremulis designed it while working at Kaiser Fraser, and 4000 of them were made by Fortune Manufacturing

http://www.gyronautx1.com/live-updates/alex-tremulis-flying-saucer-catalyst-for-the-1950s-ufo-craze

The name Alex Tremulis might seem familiar to you, he designed cars since the age of 20:

His talent for drawing concept cars was eventually recognized by Duesenberg showroom sales manager, who hired the 20 year old Alex to draw customer's cars.

One car Alex designed was the 1934 Duesenberg Model J LaGrande Convertible/Coupe. Three cars were built to Tremulis' illustrations, J530, J531 and J534. They became recognized as having some of the most beautiful proportions of any Duesenberg ever produced.

Alex Tremulis went on to design other instantly recognizable vehicles - the side pipes on the supercharged Cord 812, and the Chrysler Thuderbolt, and the American Bantam Hollywood and Riviera... and the Tucker 48.

Plus 11 years at Ford as the head of the advanced design studio creating the Gyron, the Seattle-ite and others, working with Syd Mead.  http://www.gyronautx1.com/alex-tremulis.html

And then, the Gyronaut X-1