The Allstate is an American automobile offered for sale through Sears, Roebuck and Co. during the 1952 and 1953 model years. It was a rebadged version of the Henry J, a car manufactured by the Kaiser-Frazer company from 1950 through 1954.

History

The Sears retail chain had previously marketed vehicles made by the Lincoln Motor Car Works under the name "Sears Motor Buggy" between 1908 and 1912.

These horseless carriages were of the "high-wheeler" variety with large wagon-type wheels. Their high ground clearance was well-suited to muddy, wagon-rutted country roads. Customers were accustomed to mail ordering through the Sears catalog, and the Sears Motor Buggy could be delivered to the nearest railroad siding. A wood crate would arrive, and the customer had to install the wheels and add oil to the engine, but Sears deemed the product not profitable at $370 and was dropped from the catalog after 3,500 orders. The catalog and retail chain was also interested in working out a deal.

Starting in 1945, Sears executive, Theodore Houser, discussed the idea with Kaiser-Frazer. Allstate automobiles were planned to be built on the senior Kaiser platforms. The concept came together after Kaiser-Frazer developed the affordable Henry J model. The cars came finished in Sears-blue paint. The marketing slogan was "Your one brand new car for '52! Allstate!"

thumb|1953 Allstate with opening trunk lid at the [[Rambler Ranch collection]]

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 L-head I4 engine producing , and the Series 6 was powered by a L-head I6 rated at , 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. Kaiser discontinued the Henry J the following year.

The Allstate has become a car desired by collectors as reflected in the few remaining examples in original condition and by their current market values. As of 2022, a restored 1953 Allstate was on display in the corporate building of Allstate in Northbrook, IL.

See also

  • Allstate (vehicle brand) other vehicles marketed by Sears.

References

  • The Allstate at RemarkableCars.com
  • The list of Allstate cars in automobile-catalog.com

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