BODYWORK: Beyond its elegant profile and signature heart-shaped grille, the Darrin stood out for its distinctive sliding doors, which disappeared into the front wings along recessed tracks. The manufacture of the fibreglass bodies was subcontracted to Glaspar in California.

MECHANICS: Powered by a 2.6-litre (161 cu in) Hurricane F-head inline-six producing 90 hp at 4,200 rpm, paired with a three-speed manual transmission with overdrive. The car is currently in running order.

INTERIOR: In good, fully original condition.

DOCUMENTS: It has original Spanish period documentation and is very likely the only Kaiser Darrin originally registered in Spain.

HISTORY: In an effort to compete with the wave of post-war imports flooding the U.S. market, Kaiser hired renowned industrial designer Howard “Dutch” Darrin to create a fibreglass-bodied sports car based on the compact Henry J. The first prototype was unveiled at the 1953 New York Auto Show, narrowly beating the Chevrolet Corvette in the race to become America’s first production fibreglass sports car.

Only 435 of these striking cars were built, making them rare and highly sought after. All were sold as 1954 models and came equipped with a three-position Landau top, considered quite innovative at the time.

This particular car was originally acquired by Cuqui Fierro, a prominent figure in Spanish high society, daughter of Ildefonso Fierro, founder of Banco Ibérico, and known for her extensive philanthropic work. This Kaiser Darrin has been preserved in largely original condition, having undergone a light rejuvenation many years ago. It passed its last MOT in 1995 and has spent several decades away from public view until recently returning to the road. It is undoubtedly a unique opportunity, as very few Kaisers were produced and this is quite possibly the only example ever originally registered in Spain.