1962 Kurtis Aguila Racer news, pictures, and information

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Roadster
Chassis Num: 62S1

The word 'Aguila' is Spanish meaning 'eagle'. This Kurtis Aguila was designed by Frank Kurtis. It was a dual purpose car that was legal for the new proposed SCCA 'Formula 366' Monoposto class and by fitting removable fenders, as a Sports Racer. It was the idea of Texas-based former bike racer Herb Stelter who had the idea of converting an Indy car chassis into a competitive sports car.

Stelter paid $12,000 for the Kurtis Aguila, serial number 62-S-1. This would be the final racing car built by Frank Kurtis.

Stelter commissioned his mechanic, Dale Burt, to install a 327 cubic-inch Chevrolet V8 engine with overhead valves. The engine was mated to a T-10 Borg-Warner manual gearbox and a Kurtis solid rear axle with a Halibrand 'Quick-Change' type rear.

The chassis is a tubular chrome-moly steel-ladder frame clothed with alloy body panels. The wheelbase measures 88-inches. There are disc brakes and Halibrand magnesium wheels.

The Kurtis was driven in SCCA competition from 1962 to 1964 with no outright wins ever scored. It was a brilliantly designed car but it was troubled by teething problems. On nearly every outing it suffered from engine problems or crashes.

After the 1965 season, Stelter parked the car. It sat in Burt's Houston warehouse for nearly two decades until a Colorado collector purchased it. It spent another ten-years in storage.

In the late 1980s, it was purchased by a Florida vintage racer named George Shelley. A full restoration soon followed, and completed in the early 1990s. Upon completion, it was used in vintage racing during the mid to late 1990s.

In the 2000s, it was sold to a Pennsylvania-based collector and enthusiast of Kurtis Kraft cars.

In 2009, this historically important Kurtis Racing Special was offered for sale at the Automobiles of Arizona presented by RM Auctions. The lot was estimated to sell for $160,000 - $260,000. It was sold for the sum of $165,000, including buyer's premium.

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Kurtis: 1961-1970

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