“None of the other U.S. automakers were producing subcompact cars, so Kaiser Jeep would have had the field to itself.” I maintain an archive of historical American Motors-related literature called The Pat Foster Collection. It houses more than 20,000 factory photos along with thousands of brochures, catalogs, data books, and other paraphernalia for AMC, Jeep, Rambler, Nash, Hudson, Willys, AM General, and Kaiser Jeep vehicles. A particular focus of the collection is on styling.
Recently, I acquired a large collection of AMC, Willys, and Kaiser Jeep styling photos that included all sorts of concepts. Among the most interesting was a series of mid-1960s ideas for a new subcompact car—from Kaiser Jeep, of all companies. It made me wonder: Did Kaiser Industries really consider a return to the passenger car market? Or…
