The Kaiser-Frazer Company was established by Henry J. Kaiser (1882-1967) and Joseph Frazer (1982-1971).  Kaiser was a building contractor, principally involved in the building of roads and the great dams of the West, where he spent most of his life. During World War II, he built ships, but he foresaw the postwar need for cars. He met Frazer, who had worked for Packard, GM, Willys-Overland, and Graham-Paige, primarily in sales. The two combined to build Kaisers and Frazers. They were able to bring out models in 1946, ahead of the Big Three, who had to convert their factories from war production to car production. But they soon caught up, and Howard A. Darrin’s outstanding designs notwithstanding, Kaiser-Frazer could not compete, going out of business in 1955.