1952 Muntz Jet Roadster

The Muntz Jet was produced by the Muntz Car Company in Glendale, California, between 1949 and 1954, with approximately 198 examples built. Some consider the Jet to be one of the first Personal Luxury cars. The car was developed from the Kurtis Sports Car that was designed by Frank Kurtis and produced and marketed by Earl 'Madman' Muntz of Muntz car radio fame.

Frank Kurtis had started building an aluminum-bodied two-seater sports car in 1949, and a year later, he sold the operation to Earl Muntz. Following some changes, including extending the wheelbase to 113 inches and adding rear seats, he began selling the car which he called the 'Muntz Jets' for $5,500. Muntz later admitted that he lost roughly $1,000 per car. He also claimed that 394 cars were built, however, research has revealed that less than 200 examples were completed by the time the operation closed in 1954. The first 28 examples were built in Glendale, California, before the operation was moved to Evanston, Illinois.

This is one of the later Muntz Jets built, bearing number 52M230. It is powered by a 1951 Lincoln Flathead engine coupled with a General Motors Hydra-Matic transmission.

Many celebrities owned Muntz Jets and this one is believed to have been the personal car of Hollywood icon Grace Kelly. The first known owner was Russell Gindlesperger of Levittown, Pennsylvania, who owned the car from 1963 until 1990. A.F. Long of Mays Landing, New Jersey, acquired it in 1990 and then sold it to Ed Malkinski of Carlsbad, California. The Jet was restored by Malinski in 1991 and sold to Chuck Swimmer of San Diego in 1999. Bill Warner purchased it from Swimmer in 2001 and has retained the car for nearly two decades.

While in Mr. Warner's care, the car was reconditioned by Werner Meier's Master Works in Troy, Michigan, with a fresh engine built by Gary Johns Engineering of Hilliard, Florida, and equipped with a triple-carburetor setup by Bill Jagenow of Brothers Custom in Troy, Michigan. The engine also received Edmunds heads, which took Mr. Warner 14 years to locate. The Muntz also features a removable Carson-type top and a white iguana-skin-patterned vinyl interior with a rare Muntz tape deck. The car is finished in House of Colors purple with just a hint of metallic.