1949 Kurtis Kraft Sport news, pictures, and information

View more photos
Roadster
Chassis Num: 12

This Kurtis Kraft Sport is serial number 12 of 17 built. The car was constructed in the same Los Angeles Kurtis shop where the Indianapolis-winning race cars were built. Many articles were written and many photographs were taken of the Kurtis Sports. The car is powered by a 1949 Ford flathead V8, the most popular engine for the car. The transmission, rear end and suspension are all 1949 Ford. The body - one of the first unitized types - is all aluminum with steel doors. At the 1949 Bonneville trials, Wally Parks drove a Kurtis Sport to an average speed of 142.515 mph. Frank Kurtis wanted everyone to know that his car was faster than a Jaguar XK120. In 1950, the tooling for the car was sold to Earl 'Madman' Muntz, who added 13 inches to the wheelbase to allow for a rear seat. Kurtis found the car too labor-intensive to build - even at a price tag of $5,500.

Earl 'Mad Man' Muntz was a used-car salesman in Illinois. In the early 1940s he began transporting cars from the mid-west to Southern California where he would sell the cars and make a profit. After World War II he joined forces with Henry Kaiser and became a Kaiser-Frazer dealer. It is believed that in 1947 he sold 22,000 Kaisesr-Frazers. His talents also included the sale of radios, televisions, and other electronic equipment.

Frank Kurtis is remembered for his racers that he constructed for midget and Indy car competition. He even produced a very successful line of road racers. In 1949, the Kurtis Sports Car was introduced and available as a completed unit or as a kit car. Around twenty examples were constructed when Kurtis introduced the legendary 500S.

In 1950, Muntz purchased Frank Kurtis' designs for Indy-car building and all of the tooling for the production of a two-seater sports car. The result was the Muntz Road Jet. There were many challenges involved, such as increasing the chassis by twelve inches to accommodate rear seating. The price of the vehicle was also a challenge; Muntz brought the price of the vehicle to a more reasonable price by foregoing the use of aluminum for steel. By doing this, the weight of the vehicle increased. Some of the vehicles were fitted with fiberglass fenders in an effort to reduce overall weight. Power was provided by a Cadillac V8 initially and later replaced by a flathead Lincoln V8. At this time, Muntz was able to secure Hydramatic transmissions from Ford.

There were 30 Muntz Road Jet vehicles constructed. Production began in 1950 transpiring in Glendale, California. Later, production was moved to Evanston, Illinois midway through 1951. At this point, the Cadillac engine and the aluminum body were no longer used and the Lincoln powerplant and steel bodies were used in their place. The wheelbase increased by an additional three inches.

Muntz automobiles were not overly flamboyant but they did come equipped with many standard options including a wire recorder in the radio and a cooled liquor cabinet in the compartments under the backseat armrest. All of the cars came equipped with seat belts which were attached to the seat frames instead of the floor.

Due to the costs of production and the expensive machinery used to construct these vehicles, it is estimated that Muntz lost an average of $1000 on each of the vehicles produced. This did not slow production at first, but when Muntz's other business ventures began to follow suite, Production was halted.

Ford and Chevrolet began work in the early 1950s on a two-seat sports car. When Muntz learned of this, he decided to create a suitable competitor for this upcoming sports car. The examples were constructed in time for the 1953 Indianapolis Sports Car Show and dubbed the Muntz Roadster. Also on the show floor were the Corvette which received all of the media attention. The Muntz Roadster was left with little fan-fare.

There were a total of four Muntz Roadster constructs. The vehicle shown is the second of the four constructed and is powered by an OHV Lincoln engine. The fenders are constructed of lightweight fiberglass.

This vehicle made an appearance at the inaugural Palm Beach International Concours d'Elegance where it was awarded Best in Class.

Roadster

Frank Kurtis built the majority of the Indy race cars in the 1940's through the 1960's. He wanted to incorporate that racing technology in a sports car, and he designed and built that sports car in 1949.

Kurtis's sports car was originally intended to have a Studebaker powertrain but when a V-8 did not materialize he switched to Ford.

Kurtis built 16 production sports cars, plus 2 prototypes. Cash flow prevented him from continuing and he sold the molds to Earl 'Madman' Muntz. Kurtis then built the first Muntz Jets. The Muntz, which shared many of the same body parts, included fenders and had 13 inches added to the wheelbase to allow for a rear seat.

This example is powered by a 1949 Ford Flathead V8, the most popular engine for the car. The body, one of the first unitized types, is all aluminum with steel doors.

This was the first production Kurtis Sports Car. It set a land speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1949 (142.42 MPH). It was later raced in New York and Florida. Since being rescued as a 'parts car' it has undergone a complete restoration under the supervision of the original driver.

Vehicle Spotlight

Kurtis: 1941-1950

Similar Automakers

Kurtis History

Other models by Kurtis