Appearing in Barrett-Jackson: 1953 Allstate

our modern world has brought about the opportunity to order cars over the Internet, but this is not necessarily a new concept. Sears, a department store giant whose catalog was arguably the Amazon before Amazon, also used to sell cars — as did its own brands. One of these cars just sold at Barrett-Jackson’s 2024 Scottsdale Fall Auction.

Allstate was sold by Sears in 1952-53 and disappeared without a trace. Built in conjunction with Kaiser-Frazer, the Allstate is basically a badge-engineered version of the Kaiser Henry J. Four- and six-cylinder versions are available, all with styling and interior tweaks to distinguish them from using Henry J/Allstate-branded components other than Sears’ Allstate, such as spark plugs, tires and batteries.

Since Kaiser-Frazer’s contract with Sears stipulates the sale of 1,000 vehicles per year as part of a test market, Allstate sold about 2,000 vehicles in total. The one featured at Barrett-Jackson’s 2024 Scottsdale fall auction was originally a 134ci Continental Quad ’53 model that was rebuilt. Larry Barker, president of the Kaiser-Fraser International Owners Club, the club founded by his parents, knew the history of this particular vehicle because he had owned it before.

This Allstate was sold new in Phoenix, which is Kaiser-Fraser’s operations center as it owns a factory in Mexico City. It also has the distinction of being a final Allstate built based on the serial number on the VIN. Larry bought the Allstate in 2005, restored it (an investment of about $13,000), and sold it to a gentleman in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale for $7,500.

As unbelievable as the situation may be, the owner then removed the body, placed it on a Toyota pickup chassis, installed a Ford Coyote V8, and replaced the interior. It was later sold to a new owner in Arkansas, who happened to invest another $14,000. Coincidentally, it came back to Arizona, where an agent purchased it and brought it to Barrett-Jackson. Larry estimates he has invested $40,000 in the Allstate company since he owned it.

Equipped with 17-inch wheels and other modifications, this Allstate bears little resemblance to the utilitarian vehicles offered by Sears in the 1950s, and is no different from the company itself.