I can’t seem to recall ever noticing an Allstate Automobile on the roads can you? Of course, back in the day, all a fellow had to do was pick out a color and order one from his (or the wife’s) Sears Catalogue. And unlike purchasing a Sears home that required constructing, (piece of cake just follow the instructions) the car’s body came attached to the tires.

Yes, there was a time when Sears did have everything, and in 1952, they began offering a fastback two-door sedan built by Kaiser-Frazer. Their marketing slogan? Your one brand new car for 52! Allstate! The price just might make you miss the good old days, $1,486 for the Model 111 Standard Version and $1,539 for the Model 113 Deluxe. For those with the means to splurge, they could drop an extra $154 on Allstate’s top-of-the-line the 115.

This new venture was one of those ideas that initially looked great on paper. A win-win proposition for an automobile maker, Kaiser-Frazier, trying to rebound from sluggish sales, and Sears, the undisputed heavyweight king of the retail industry. Sears stood to benefit from cars equipped with Allstate-brand tires, tubes, spark plugs, and batteries. Of course, any new car owner would be in good hands if he insured his Allstate with Allstate.

So what happened? Why was the car only on the market for two years? Sears found themselves at a disadvantage as they were not equipped to offer a trade-in allowance. Another problem was the reluctance of some Kaiser-Frazier dealers to service a Sear’s Auto that offered more bells and whistles at a lower price than the models displayed on their showroom floor.

The idea that looks good on paper ceases to be when the ink turns red; only 2,363 vehicles sold, and Sears abandoned selling cars after 1953. Glen Arlt is a historian affiliated with the experts at Hagerty Insurance specializing in classic cars, and he would be surprised if more than just a handful survived today.

If you are feeling nostalgic, or just have a feeling that plaid seats are about to make a comeback, Glen Arlt at Hagerty suspects that someone
obtaining one may be as rare as seeing one. His check on the Allstate’s possible worth in the Hagerty Valuation Tool suggests a high value for a 4-cylinder model at $22,000 and for a 6-cylinder at about $28,000. Glen points out that Hagerty bases their valuations on sales of competing and comparable models from the era. There currently is no data available on a top dollar paid for an Allstate in a private transaction.

I did a little snooping on Craigslist and found one on the block for twenty-three thousand dollars. You might try haggling with the seller, but my guess is he would not be willing to trade his classic car for today’s equivalent value 1,508 shares of Sears Holdings. Times have changed.

Chicago Kenny