1952 Muntz Jet news, pictures, and information

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Earl 'Madman' Muntz was an extremely successful used car salesman in California. The Jet was Muntz's answer to the sports cars that were coming onto the scene in the early 1950s-cars like the Kaiser Darrin, the Hudson Italia, the Chevrolet Corvette and the Nash Healey, Muntz met with famous race car builder Frank Kurtis and purchased the rights to produce a Kurtis road car. Muntz stretched the chassis and created a 4-seat sports car. This car is a custom version built by Joe Bailon for bandleader Freddy Martin. Many body modifications were made, changing nearly every panel, and a new Corvette V8 engine was installed. The changes, which were completed in 1955, make this particular Muntz Jet unique.

Indy car builder Frank Kurtis produced 36 sports cars in 1949. Earl 'Madman' Muntz, of TV fame, bought the tooling and manufacturing rights from Kurtis and began producing Muntz cars. Costing more than $5,500, fewer than 300 were produced. All were convertibles, with removable 'Carson' tops. Band leader Freddy Martin bought this Muntz in 1952. The flathead Lincoln V8 took it to 60 mph in under nine seconds, apparently not quickly enough for Martin, who commissioned Joe Bailon to restyle the car and install a V8 engine. He retained the maroon vinyl interior. The current owners bought the car in 2004, after it had been in inhospitable storage for 40 years. Joe Bailon vividly recalled the car and was instrumental in its authentic restoration.

Trying to measure up to European car manufacturers, American came up with the Muntz Jet, an American sport car that was both practical and fashionable for the times. The Muntz Jet was a 4-seater convertible in the mold of the 58-61 T-bird.
The original design came from Frank Kurtis before Earl Muntz bought the design and redesigned and re-engineered it. Earl ‘The Mad Man' Muntz was considered to be a entrepreneur. With a background in radio during the early 40's, he made his millions during by selling the first televisions for mass market as a Dumont Television franchiser.

Built in Gardena, California in the early 1950's, the first 28 prototypes were made of aluminum with a 113 inch wheelbase and were powered by a 331 cid Cadillac V8. Body panels were aluminum based that formed over a steel cage subframe on a ‘X' frame chassis.

Eventually the production site was moved to Evanston, Illinois, Muntz's hometown. It was here that the vehicle received a modified steel body and the powertrain was changed to the Lincoln flathead V8. Using fiberglass front fenders and an OHV Lincoln V8, producing 154 hp. Tested at 6.7 seconds, the Jet made zero to sixty, and a top speed of 119 mph.

As Muntz produced his last cars, he was estimated to have taken nearly a $1000 loss on each vehicle made. At the time, the price of a new Muntz Jet was between $5000 & $6000. Today they range from $10,000 to $40,000 based on their condition.
Well received by audiences in Southern California showrooms, deposits were enough to ensure a satisfactory production beginning.

Producing around 400 Jets between 1951 and 1954, it's estimated that at least 49 survive today.

Most likely due to the huge loss he took on the production of each car, the Muntz Jet venture ended after four years.

Jessica Donaldson

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Muntz: 1951-1960

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