Muntz Jet

The Muntz Jet is a two-door hardtop convertible built by the Muntz Car Company in the United States between approximately 1949 and 1954. It is sometimes credited as the first personal luxury car. Developed from the Kurtis Sport Car (KSC) that was designed by Frank Kurtis, it was produced and marketed by Earl "Madman" Muntz. The car was powered by one of two V8 engines, either a 160 hp Cadillac engine or a 160 hp Lincoln engine, and it was equipped with either a General Motors Hydramatic automatic transmission or a three-speed Borg-Warner manual transmission. The Jet was streamlined, featured numerous luxury appointments, and was equipped with safety features that were not standard on most cars of its day, including a padded dashboard and seat belts.

Production of the Muntz Jet occurred in Glendale, California; Evanston, Illinois; and Chicago before ceasing in 1954. The car sold for $5,500 in 1953 (about $51,500 in 2017), but cost $6,500 to produce. In total, Muntz lost approximately $400,000 on the venture. Only 198 Jets were built, an estimated 50 to 130 of which are still in existence. By 2016, fully restored cars had sold for over $100,000 at auction. Author Matt Stone called the Jet "one of the fastest and best-performing American cars of the time" while Muntz claimed that the 1958

Design

The Muntz Jet was developed from the Kurtis Sport Car (KSC), a two-seat, aluminum-body sports car designed by Frank Kurtis. Muntz bought the rights to the KSC, along with its parts and tooling, from Kurtis Kraft for $200,000.[3][6] Sam Hanks, who would later win the 1957 Indianapolis 500, contributed to the redesign and re-engineering necessary to create the Muntz. The Jet was built with a solid hardtop.[3][7] Two different V8 engines were used in the Jet: a 160 hp Cadillac engine, and a 160 hp Lincoln engine.[6][7][8] The first Jets to be constructed, in Glendale, California, had the Cadillac engine and aluminum bodies, while those built later in Illinois instead had the Lincoln engine and steel bodies.[9][10] The cars were equipped with General Motors Hydramatic automatic transmissions,[1][8] while a three-speed Borg-Warner manual transmission was also available as an option.

Compared to its Kurtis predecessor, the Jet was heavier but also more agile and capable of a higher top speed, due to its lower drive ratio. The Muntz was 400 lbs heavier than the KSC,[7] weighing almost 4,000 lbs. Its wheelbase was 113 in, 10 in longer in both overall length and wheelbase than the Kurtis, which gave it enough room to include a back seat and accommodate four occupants.[7] The Jet stood 54 in in height. It was built with body-on-frame construction and had independent front suspension (A-arms with coil springs) and a live rear axle with leaf springs. It also featured power steering, four-wheel hydraulic brakes, dual exhausts, and a dual coil ignition.[3]

In April 1951, Norman Nicholson described the Jet as having "the appearance of a streamlined, scaled-down limousine". It was available in colors such as boy blue and elephant pink.[6] Similar in appearance to the KSC, the Muntz was more luxuriously appointed than its sports car predecessor.[7][11] Some of these appointments included an all-leather "tuck-and-roll" interior, racing-style Stewart-Warner gauges, and a center console with a Muntz radio.[3] A liquor cabinet and ice chest placed under the rear seat armrests were available as an option. The Jet was equipped with safety features that were not standard on most cars of its day, including a padded dashboard and seat belts.[7]

manufacturer	Muntz Car Company
production	c. 1949–1954
assembly	United States: * Glendale, California * Evanston, Illinois * Chicago, Illinois
designer	Frank Kurtis Sam Hanks
class	Personal luxury car
body style	Hardtop convertible coupé
engine	NNN cuin
transmission	General Motors Hydramatic automatic transmission Three-speed Borg-Warner manual transmission
propulsion	160 hp Cadillac V8 160 hp Lincoln V8
wheelbase	113 in
height	54 in
weight	4,000 lb
predecessor	Kurtis Sport Car
sp	us

Background

Design

Production and sale

Performance

Legacy

Sources

References