1949 Kaiser Vagabond
When you look at the Hatchtopia archives, you’ll generally see model years beginning with 197- or 198- with a few 199-s mixed in. So to see a hatchback from the 1940s is something very special indeed.
The spectacular bit of hatchback history featured here is a 1949 Kaiser Vagabond. I’m not certain if this is the first hatchback ever mass-produced, but it is clearly an early one, and probably has the most fascinating tailgate arrangement I’ve ever seen.
The recent Skoda Superb Twindoor is about the only other dual-operating hatch that I can think of (on a car which honestly is a rather dull and frumpy-looking car other than its hatch configuration).
Click for Autoblog.com story about Superb Twindoor
I cannot even put into words how cool I think the Kaiser proto-hatchback is, so I just suggest you head over to bringatrailer.com and check out the full listing – and bask in the collective knowledge of that fine website’s commenting base.
