very clever wording in this ad

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lightning72/4179877810/

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 

redwall tires?

Huh.

I've seen red rubber inner tubes way back in the 70s... but never a tire with red sidewalls

how many cars have stayed in the family, in operating condition, for over 100 years?

Aside from some engine work and a second set of hard-rubber tires, the amazing Motor Buggy runabout is almost entirely original.

It has outlived two generations of the Mertes family, and now belongs to the grandson of its original purchaser.

The Motor Buggy still runs, and apart from an engine repair and a new set of tires, is in completely original condition. When Ken Mertes drives it, he is using 107-year-old brakes!

 An estimated 3500 customers ordered a Sears car between 1908 and 1912. The car could either be picked up at the Chicago factory, or delivered by rail, which is how Jon Mertes got his. According to the family, this was the 39th car built that first year. When notified that it was at the train station, they had to hitch up the horses to the wagon and go get it, then assemble it when they got it home. It 's been going strong ever since.

It’s got the original brakes on it and it’s never been repainted and never even had a good cleaning, really. The only other major change to it, is the tires were worn out on the front and almost worn off on the back and we took the wheels up to a buggy maker in South Dakota and he put new rubber on the wheels.

1908, of course, was the first year of the Model T Ford, and the year that Sears jumped into the car business. Its little high-wheeler, dubbed the Motor Buggy, had advantages over the Ford.

“One advantage they had over the Model T’s was they had a gas tank under the front seat,” Mertes noted. “When the Model T’s got low on gas they’d have to back up a hill, but that didn’t happen with the Sears… They were a very utilitarian vehicle, but they were still behind the times.” They also cost about $100 more than the Sears.


Mertes chuckles when trying to describe how it feels to handle the ancient buggy with tiller steering, a high center of gravity, primitive brakes and nothing to hold onto or keep you strapped in if things get hairy.

“It’s rickety to drive. Everything you’ve ever known about driving a car doesn’t apply,” he says. “It doesn’t even have a conventional steering wheel. You’ve got to toe the clutch all the while you are moving. In a regular car, you let off the clutch, but in this you’ve got hold it in…"


https://dailytimewaster.blogspot.com/2015/06/1908-sears-motor-buggy-still-in.html
https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/car-of-the-week/car-of-the-week-1908-sears-motor-buggy?et_mid=757690&rid=235914604

Even Sears was selling Manx knock offs

Found on https://www.facebook.com/That70sPage?fref=photo

Some cool cars at the Salisbury House annual car show

The red rimmed buggy is a Sears, a different but similar one is below for a better look

the above is a 1923 Columbia

the above is a 1912 Little

http://www.pcaucr.org/site/page.jsp?pageid=196 and http://www.aroundtheworld.scotland.net/ for more about the rally

Around the World in 80 Days London to Beijing Motor Challenge sponsored by the Classic Rally Association, outfitted their 1949 Buick Super with eight-ply truck tires (normal car tires are four-ply) to prevent flat tires on the 20thousand mile journey in 2000. This is one of about 100 woody Super wagons that still exist. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3828/is_/ai_n8911630

This was one of 10 teams form America, but the only all American team of drivers and American car, to drive in the legendary Silk Road. Airlifted from China to Alaska, driven to New Jersey by way of northern states like Montana and Michigan, then flown to Morrocco for the finish. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00EFDB163DF93BA15754C0A9669C8B63

A Bantam

http://www.salisburyhouse.org/aspx/photogallery/photogalleryphotos.aspx?albumid=10 For a gallery from the Salisbury House website about the car shows the host
http://www.fordmustang.us/gallery/v/CarShows/ is where I borrowed these photos from.