nick8086 Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 I found this on line tonight - What does Henry J stand for: HENRYs. The acronym stands for High Earner, Not Rich Yet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcapra Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 I think the Henry J stands for Henry J. Kaiser. In all of my years of old car watching, I've only seen two Henry Js, or Allstates. One was junked in a guy's back yard who had lots of non-running old cars in San Diego in the 1980s. The only other time was while driving on I-15 in Temecula, where I live, I saw a Henry J or Allstate cruising north in the fast lane! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Kingsley Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 Definitely Henry J. Kaiser. I've only ever seen one Henry J and unfortunately it was not stock. At least it wasn't a gasser. I've never seen an Allstate version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted March 8, 2022 Share Posted March 8, 2022 8 hours ago, Bryan G said: Thought: suppose they'd waited 10 years to try their hand at the car business. By then Sears was anchoring more and more shopping malls nationwide. They could have offered rebadged Larks... Sears did give away 10 Avantis with Allstate tires in 1964. https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/general-studebaker-specific-discussion/1915751-sears-avanti-giveaways https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/general-studebaker-specific-discussion/1917995-avanti-build-sheet-question 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan G Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 I was giving this some thought. Sears, Roebuck & Company was on top of the world in the sixties. Imagine this: what if they BOUGHT Studebaker? Sears was, I suppose, the largest seller of lawn mowers and other power equipment in America. The purchase would have given them Onan engines & Gravely. All those new shopping mall locations had plenty of parking, room in the corner of the sales floor for a showroom, and an auto center that would lend itself to being a full-fledged service department. In more rural areas the traditional independent dealers could handle sales & service. The Lark & Studebaker trucks were a good fit for the practical kind of people who shopped at Sears. The retailer operated one of the largest delivery fleets in the USA, plus their TV & appliance service fleets. Many trucking companies obtained GMC or IH franchises since they bought so many trucks, thus cutting out the middleman. Tenneco bought J.I. Case because they bought so much construction equipment. Sears could have produced its own fleet. Folks could stop by Sears, pick out the car, finance it through Sears, insure it through Sears (Allstate), service it there...of course, they were also a pioneer at importing things from Japan. The cars might have all been rebadged Datsuns soon. They tried their hand at manufacturing their own goods from time to time but never stuck with it. And we all know what happened to the company since those glory days. But I do think it makes a good "what if?" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 It is an interesting thing to think about, but somewhat complicated by the fact that Studebaker didn't go bankrupt as far as I know. They had diversified into other things, and no longer considered car manufacturing profitable. In the following years they were caught up in an endless string of corporate acquisitions and mergers, making it kind of hard to tell where they went. If I am not mistaken they finally ceased to exist in the mid 90s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank DuVal Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 1 hour ago, Bloo said: It is an interesting thing to think about, but somewhat complicated by the fact that Studebaker didn't go bankrupt as far as I know. They had diversified into other things, and no longer considered car manufacturing profitable. In the following years they were caught up in an endless string of corporate acquisitions and mergers, making it kind of hard to tell where they went. If I am not mistaken they finally ceased to exist in the mid 90s. Yep, and a similar story with the Graham brothers, they just stopped car production, did not go out of business. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusty Trucker Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 Here are two pictures of early model Henry J's (1951). The The tail lights were small and round, not on the rear fender tips. For 1952-1954, the tail lights were moved to fin tips and either back-up lamps or block-off plates were used where the earlier tail lights were located, per these photos: The 1953 Sears Allstate was reviewed by(Hemming's) Special Interest Autos #155, Sept. 1998, author Arch Brown, reprint, 2013. The example in the article has an opening (optional) trunk lid. Here is the website: https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2013/09/01/sia-flashback-1953-allstate-henry-j-in-drag 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 Think for a minute and try to envision a market where old Henry J had targeted the same "upscale compact" market Nash did, had spiffed up his namesake car to compete in such a market, hadn't had to contend with Korean Police Action materiel shortages, and hadn't got caught in Big Three sales wars. His little "sawed-off Cadillac" might have done well for itself! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 6 hours ago, rocketraider said: Think for a minute and try to envision a market where old Henry J had targeted the same "upscale compact" market Nash did, had spiffed up his namesake car to compete in such a market, hadn't had to contend with Korean Police Action materiel shortages, and hadn't got caught in Big Three sales wars. He would have had to offer more than one body style. Besides the two door sedan, a upscale hardtop and convertible would have rounded off the lineup. And on the sedan, more comforts, including rear windows that lowered and less spartan interiors, along with two-tone exteriors would also give the impression of being more upscale. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knee55 Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 The number of Allstates produced is 2,363. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck Flower Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 I have Sears Allstate tires on my Chevy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 When they were new I remember a Henry J here in the west end of the village I reside in Floral Park, NY . I used to see it everyday parked on / near the last few blocks of Crocus Avenue as I walked to elementary school. It wasn't long before one door had a big dent in it that the owner never had repaired. I thought it was neat because 1) had an odd name 2) was the only one in town 3) even then I liked "orphan" makes of cars and history as to who made it. Never knew of any Kaiser-Fraser dealership in the area at all . Packard , yes.Also Plymouth, and DeSoto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC38dls Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 Our neighbor had a Henry J that the dad drove forever. Great looking car until his son got hold of it and changed it into a drag car and crashed it on a quarter mile run one Saturday. This was in the early 60’s a lot of them became strip hot rods. dave s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 47 minutes ago, SC38dls said: This was in the early 60’s a lot of them became strip hot rods. Yup, a high school buddy put a 312 in one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
31nash880 Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 Right up there with a 350 in a vega. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 There was a very nice Allstate for sale listed in the not mine section awhile ago. I recall it being in MD, maybe DC area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jubilee Posted October 24, 2022 Share Posted October 24, 2022 In 1956 or 57 I won a Henry J in a poker game. I was still in high school. Think it went in the pot for $45-$50. ( A ‘49-51 Ford was $100-$125) The next day, the guys dad got a hold of my dad and nulled the deal. The guys dad owned the Conoco station and gave me two-three free tanks of gas, worth $6-$9. Thanks forum for the memory jolt. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted October 24, 2022 Share Posted October 24, 2022 I have read through and following this thread, I am not sure it has been answered but Where did one buy an Allstate car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted October 24, 2022 Share Posted October 24, 2022 20 minutes ago, TAKerry said: I have read through and following this thread, I am not sure it has been answered but Where did one buy an Allstate car? Sears & Roebuck. Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank DuVal Posted October 24, 2022 Share Posted October 24, 2022 Inside the main store! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted October 24, 2022 Share Posted October 24, 2022 I assume you could put it on your Sears charge card! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted October 24, 2022 Share Posted October 24, 2022 17 minutes ago, Frank DuVal said: Inside the main store! And only in the southern states, as it was only being test marketed by Sears. Sales of the Allstate never did get high enough to expand the sales area to cover the rest of the United States and Canada. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted October 24, 2022 Share Posted October 24, 2022 I seem to remember they were in the catalogue, too. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Skelly Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 (edited) 10 hours ago, Ben Bruce aka First Born said: Sears & Roebuck. Ben presumably Simpson Sears in Canada; (scratch that thought based on what Craig mentioned above) Edited October 25, 2022 by Jim Skelly (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 22 hours ago, 8E45E said: And only in the southern states, as it was only being test marketed by Sears. Sales of the Allstate never did get high enough to expand the sales area to cover the rest of the United States and Canada. On 3/6/2022 at 10:25 AM, JACK M said: I don't remember if it was Tacoma or Seattle Sears store as I would have been about four years old and we had family in both cities. But there was an Allstate car right beside an escalator that I also recall enjoying . So the car would come into view as one rode the down escalator. I wish I could remember what I had for breakfast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roscoe Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 One of the guys semi local to me that I see at the petit jean swap meet every year has an Allstate he pulled out of a junk yard recently. It's rough, but I actually considered buying it for a split second, before sanity kicked me in the rear. Well, I called it Sanity. I also call "it"- " Honey" "sweetheart" and "Just one more old car..." 🤣 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 1 hour ago, JACK M said: I don't remember if it was Tacoma or Seattle Sears store as I would have been about four years old and we had family in both cities. But there was an Allstate car right beside an escalator that I also recall enjoying . So the car would come into view as one rode the down escalator. I got my information from a Popular Science new car buyers guide. I can see Sears putting an Allstate in the department stores in the major cities to whet potential buyer's appetites, perhaps rotating one between stores. I wonder if the Pimpsons-Queers stores in Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver ever got one for temporary display. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 Could have been a temp one off display. It wasn't like they had a line up of them. LOL Seattle had a pretty large store if I recall. I also remember that they sold chocolate first display inside the front door. My mom hated that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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