Vehicle Description
Starting at age 14, Frank Kurtis was immersed in California car
culture. He began his career as an apprentice at Don Lee
Coachbuilders in Los Angeles and eventually developed his talents
into a successful business building Midgets, Sprints, and Indy
cars. His Kurtis-Kraft cars became the pick of the field from local
dirt bullrings to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and between
racing car orders, he built Hollywood movie cars and one-off
specials. In 1948, a special commission for a one-off roadster
based on a wrecked '41 Buick inspired Kurtis to design a production
sports car. Frank designed the body and chassis and arranged for
Studebaker to supply suspension components and their upcoming OHV
V8 engine. The plan called for a reworked Champion frame, with all
design and construction done by Kurtis, and Studebaker handling
sales through their vast dealer network. But production delays with
the Studebaker V8 jeopardized the deal, and Kurtis instead turned
to Ford to supply their flathead V8. The slick and stylish body,
which had elements of Kurtis' one-off 41 Buick special, was
constructed from fiberglass, steel, and aluminum. It was a handsome
and capable car, but Frank Kurtis soon lost interest in the
project, and he sold the rights to the design after only 15 Kurtis
Sports were built. The man who persuaded Kurtis to sell the design
was Earl "Madman" Muntz of Southern California. The original
showman of the used car business, Muntz pioneered the use of
television ads and fostered his "Madman" persona through a series
of zany TV spots and catchy advertising slogans. The Madman schtick
was a good act, and his dealerships became tourist attractions. In
reality, Muntz was a sharp and intelligent businessman and engineer
who later found considerable success in designing and selling
consumer car stereos and televisions. Muntz was known to do just
about anything for self-promotion, so a flamboyant sports car with
his name on the trunk was just the ticket to drive even more
traffic into his showrooms. To transform the Kurtis Sports into the
Muntz Jet, Frank Kurtis stretched the chassis by 13 inches to
accommodate a pair of rear seats. Cadillac's new 331 cubic-inch OHV
V8 powered most of the cars, though a few had Lincoln flathead or
overhead valve V8s. Softer and more luxurious than the Kurtis
Sports, the Muntz Jet boasted semi-unitary construction, bucket
seats with console storage, a padded dash, and an available liquor
cabinet and ice chest in the rear. It was one of the quickest cars
of its day, and a fascinating precursor to the Thunderbird and
Corvette. But the list price of $5,500 was enough to dampen
enthusiasm, and after just 198 Jets rolled off the line, Muntz
ceased production, claiming he lost as much as $1,000 per car. This
extraordinary Muntz is the second car produced and is the subject
of a meticulous, nut-and-bolt restoration with little regard to
cost. Undoubtedly the finest of its kind we have ever encountered,
chassis number M-102 first appeared in Muntz publicity photos
featuring designer Frank Kurtis and factory test driver (and 1957
Indy 500 winner) Sam Hanks. Chassis M-102 is one of the first 28
cars built by the Kurtis Kraft shop in Glendale, CA, so it has
aluminum door skins and fenders rather than steel used on the later
Evanston-built cars. After its time as a promo car, it was sold to
a private buyer and led an uneventful early life. In 1969, the most
recent owner acquired chassis M-102 from Mr. Wesley Schwebke after
responding to an ad in the Chicago Tribune. At the time, he owned
another Muntz and purchased M-102 for $60.00 to use it as a parts
car. A few years later, a garage fire damaged his other Muntz, and
he eventually decided to restore M-102 using the fire damaged car
for parts as necessary. When new, these cars were somewhat crudely
built, often with flamboyant and garish color schemes. The goal of
this restoration was to highlight the Jet's unique character while
adding a welcome dose of sophistication and modernized performance.
The task of re-imagining the Muntz from the ground up began in
earnest in the early 2000s. The owner employed chassis specialists
SRIII Motorsports of New Lenox, Illinois, to thoroughly re-engineer
the structure and suspension. The wealth of exquisitely engineered
improvements includes air ride, power rack and pinion steering, a
Moser-built Ford 8.8-inch rear end, four-wheel power disc brakes,
QA1 adjustable dampers, and much more. The 331 cubic-inch Cadillac
OHV engine was completely rebuilt and bored to 353ci., and dyno
tests show an output of 325 horsepower and 350 ft-lbs. of torque.
The engine pairs with a GM 700R4 automatic transmission that sends
power through a custom driveshaft to the rear axle. Fabulous and
extremely rare period-correct speed equipment includes an Edelbrock
6x2 "log" intake with six Stromberg 97s, Hildebrandt valve covers
and oil filter housing, and a highly desirable W&H DuCoil
distributor. The fully restored body is finished in a stunning
shade of Merlot, selected from a late model Jaguar palette.
Bodywork is beautifully straight, displaying superb panel alignment
with tight, consistent gaps. Contrasting the gorgeous paint color
is a removable hardtop upholstered in cream to complement the
interior. All of the exterior brightwork and chrome trim is superb,
displaying fit and finish quality far beyond standards of the
1950s. It rides on factory steel wheels shod with wide-whitewall
bias-ply tires, and original chrome Sombrero-style wheel covers
with "Madman Muntz" center caps. Inside, cream leather features on
the seats, console, door cards, and dash pad, while red carpets,
door top trims, and the dash tie in beautifully with the body color
scheme. From the seats to the custom headliner, the quality of the
upholstery work is outstanding. Fabulous details abound, including
the engine-turned instrument panel, restored original
Stewart-Warner gauges, console-mounted Motorola radio,
color-matched Arvin heater, and the correct early-style Ford
Crestliner steering wheel (unique to the Kurtis-built cars)
complete with the whimsical Muntz cartoon emblem. With its
meticulous, no-expense-spared restoration, this is undoubtedly the
most exceptional Muntz Jet available worldwide. It captures all the
character and charm of the original design while delivering vastly
improved performance, handling, and quality. This Muntz Jet is a
superb piece of mid-century Americana, sure to delight its next
keeper well into the future. Offers welcome and trades considered
For additional details please view this listing directly on our
website https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/6738-1951-muntz-jet/