1951 Frazer Manhattan Unearthed on a Wisconsin Farm, Listed at $1,000

A 1951 Frazer Manhattan has surfaced outside Wausau, Wisconsin, where it has apparently spent decades quietly decaying on a farm. The asking price on Facebook Marketplace is just $1,000 or best offer — a figure that says plenty about the car’s actual condition.

The seller admits knowing almost nothing about the vehicle’s mechanical history, noting only that a previous owner once got it to fire up briefly using spray, presumably starter fluid fed into the carburetor. The deal bundles in a spare engine that is seized solid, a set of new rocker panels — a necessity, given the originals are effectively gone — and assorted extra parts. The title, however, has long since disappeared, which complicates any attempt to return the car to the road.

Structurally, the Frazer is in rough shape. Daylight passes through the driver’s floorboards, the rocker panels have rotted away, and all four tires are flat. On the brighter side, many body panels have survived better than expected, and the front and rear chrome — pieces that would be nearly impossible to source today — looks potentially salvageable. The glass is intact, and at least one hubcap remains.

The Frazer name carries genuine historical weight. Styled by Howard “Dutch” Darrin, celebrated for his custom Packard work for Hollywood clientele, the design even earned an award. The Frazer debuted in June 1946 as a four-door sedan at a moment when postwar-styled new cars were scarce. Its body shell closely mirrored the slightly cheaper Kaiser. For 1951, power came from a 115-horsepower Continental Red Seal “Supersonic” L-head six displacing 226 cubic inches. The Manhattan, introduced in 1947 as the luxury trim, carried a $500 premium over the standard Frazer F-47. By 1948, Frazer held only about 1.5 percent of the American market.

That 1951 model year marked the end of the Frazer badge; afterward, only Kaisers remained. Demand for the final cars was surprisingly strong, with roughly 50,000 orders placed, but company founder Joseph W. Frazer had already departed and the momentum came too late to matter. For anyone weighing a rescue, the math is unforgiving: bringing this sedan back to respectable condition would likely cost around $40,000. A single recent Frazer Manhattan sale recorded by Classic.com — a fully restored convertible — brought $33,600, and that body style is worth far more than a four-door. Realistically, this farm find is best viewed as a parts donor, particularly for someone restoring a rarer variant.