The Darrin roadster was designed by California-based coachbuilder Howard “Dutch” Darrin and was the first American production car to feature fiberglass bodywork. This example was delivered from the factory in Yellow Satin (157) and is believed to have been painted in its current yellow under previous ownership. Features include sliding doors that retract into the body, chrome bumpers and overriders, turn signals, Kaiser Darrin fender emblems, plexiglass wind wings, a retractable antenna, and separate decklids for the top…
The Darrin roadster was designed by California-based coachbuilder Howard “Dutch” Darrin and was the first American production car to feature fiberglass bodywork. This example was delivered from the factory in Yellow Satin (157) and is believed to have been painted in its current yellow under previous ownership. Features include sliding doors that retract into the body, chrome bumpers and overriders, turn signals, Kaiser Darrin fender emblems, plexiglass wind wings, a retractable antenna, and separate decklids for the top and trunk. The yellow three-position soft top features chrome landau bars, and a set of matching side curtains is included in the sale. One headlight is said to only work on the low-beam setting, and paint chips and imperfections on the bumpers can be in the gallery.
The body-color steel wheels wear chrome hubcaps and are mounted with 5.90-15 BFGoodrich Silvertown bias-ply whitewall tires that were reportedly installed in December 2022. A full-size spare wheel is mounted under a body-color cover in the trunk. The Darrin frame and suspension were based on the contemporary Henry J and incorporate an independent front setup and a live rear axle with leaf springs. Braking is handled by four-wheel drums shared with the Kaiser Manhattan. A replacement brake master cylinder was reportedly installed in October 2022 along with brake cylinders and shoes. The parking brake was serviced in February 2022.
The seats, door panels, transmission tunnel, and dashboard are trimmed in yellow upholstery. Black carpets line the floors, and features include a padded dashboard, a cigar lighter, an ashtray, an under-dash heater, and a dash-mounted rearview mirror.
The two-spoke steering wheel features a chrome horn ring and frames a 120-mph speedometer, a 6k-rpm tachometer, and gauges for oil pressure, fuel level, coolant temperature, and battery charge. The seller reports that the fuel-level gauge does not read above 1/8th full, and the tachometer does not work. The five-digit odometer shows under 96k miles. Total mileage is unknown.
The 161ci Hurricane F-head inline-six wears a low-profile air cleaner and was factory rated at 90 horsepower when new. The engine is said to have been painted under previous ownership, and a replacement Carter YF carburetor was also fitted. Service performed under current ownership is said to have included the installation of replacement spark plugs and wires, an ignition coil, distributor points, a distributor cap and rotor, a thermostat, and a battery in addition to a rebuild of the carburetor, a radiator flush, and an oil change. The results of a recent compression test can be viewed in the gallery. An oil leak is noted by the seller.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual transmission with overdrive. The fuel tank was reportedly drained under current ownership and the fuel pump was rebuilt.