Production
The Allstate was built by Kaiser-Frazer in Willow Run, Michigan (and after 1953 by Kaiser-Willys in Toledo, Ohio) and was based on Kaiser's compact Henry J. One body style was offered, a fastback two-door sedan in two trim and equipment levels, Series 4 and Series 6.
For 1952, the Series 4 came in the Model 111 Standard (the best seller at US1,486), and Model 113 DeLuxe ($1,539) trim versions, and was also available in an austere Model 110 Basic version for $1,395. The Series 6 Basic was priced at $1,594 and the better-trimmed, swift Model 115 DeLuxe was offered at $1,693. (The Standard was not offered in the Series 6.) The cars had a 100 in wheelbase.[5] The marketing slogan was "Your one brand new car for '52! Allstate!"[4]
No appearance changes were made for 1953, but Allstate cars weighed as much as 145 lb more than their 1952 counterparts.
Sears dropped marketing the Allstate Basic models. Thus, prices increased substantially; the entry-level Series 4 Standard Model 210 sold for $1,528 and the DeLuxe Model 213 for $1,589. The Series 6 was now only offered in the upscale DeLuxe Model 215 version at $1,785 and was the most popular Allstate that year.
The standard Allstate interior material was made from tightly twisted strands of paper that were woven together and then coated in plastic, which proved to be unusually durable and attractive. This enhancement eliminated the need for seat covers. Aftermarket seat covers were popular accessories in the 1950s; many were made of this material to provide durability.[6]
Unlike early Henry Js, which were built without trunk lids to reduce costs, the Allstates featured a regular opening trunk lid.
Series 4 cars used an 134.2 CID L-head I4 engine producing 68 hp, and the Series 6 was powered by a 161 CID L-head I6 rated at 80 hp, both built by Willys. A three-speed manual transmission was standard, with overdrive available for $104 extra.
One mechanical difference between Allstate and Henry J was that Allstates were equipped with Allstate-brand tires, tubes, spark plugs, and batteries, all with their own Sears "Triple Guarantee" warranties.
Initially, the Allstate was offered only in the south and southwest United States, with plans to expand distribution as demand for the product grew. Sears locations selling Allstates included Baytown, Texas; Beaumont, Texas; Birmingham, Alabama; Dallas, Texas; Fayetteville, North Carolina; Houston, Texas; Jackson, Mississippi; Knoxville, Tennessee; Little Rock, Arkansas; Lubbock, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; Norfolk, Virginia; Orlando, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; Portsmouth, Virginia; Richmond, Virginia; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Waco, Texas.
While some Sears outlets tried to stock at least one sample of the car, most were built on demand by Kaiser-Frazer, which made delivery to the store where they were sold. Kaiser-Frazer urged its dealers to service Allstate cars when asked. Many Kaiser-Frazer dealers were displeased to see "their cars" sold by another outlet, especially since the Allstate carried more standard equipment, yet sold at a lower price than the Henry J.
Sears marketed the car as "the lowest-priced full-sized sedan on the U.S. market." However, Sears did not accept trade-ins from Allstate buyers, and there may have been a reluctance to buy a car through a department store where service was thought to be questionable.[2] The lack of a trade-in program also proved to be a serious impediment to the sale of Graham-Bradley tractors from Graham-Paige Motors by Sears in the late 1930s.
