1954 Kurtis KK-500

Frank Kurtis, the founder of the Kurtis company, had seen an opportunity in the mass production of midget racing cars after World War II. The vehicles he designed and built dominated the racing circuit. The front-engined Indy 500 machines were big, powerful, and brutal. Their disc brakes were revolutionary at the time and provided superior stopping power over the popular drum brake design. The beam front and live rear axle with Panhard rods were not very sophisticated but the modified design allowed all four corners to be independently adjustable, promoting easier setup. The 4.2 liter Offenhauser four-cylinder engine with overhead cams and Hillborn fuel injection produced an astonishing 400 horsepower and a 14:1 compression ratio.

With the driver behind the engine, they were subjected to loud noises and heat. Located behind the driver were large 18-inch rear wheels.

The 500KK was essentially a kit-car version of the 500S with bodywork and engines to the buyer's specification. Costs ranged from $395 to $1,300, depending on the options specified. The SR-100 bodywork, inspired by the coachwork of Vignale, was created by fiberglass wunderkinds Dick Jones and Jim Byers, introduced in 1953 at the Los Angeles Motorama as the Meteor SR-100. The '100' signified the vehicle's wheelbase length in inches.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: MKK55

Californian Frank Kurtis made significant marks in the auto racing world during the 1940s and 1950s. Twenty-four of the thirty-three starters for the 1952 Indy 500 were Kurtis chassis! In 1953, Kurtis began producing the 500S, the 500KK, and the 500M sports cars, all based on the 1953 Indy Roadster frame and suspension parts. The 500KK models were special order custom cars that were delivered in various stages of completion. A customer could order a bare chassis to a completed car with any available power plant and transmission. The body was made of fiberglass with plywood re-enforcing by Jim Byers, a Los Angeles boat builder. This is one of only three bodies he produced for a 91-inch wheelbase. It is the only known Kurtis to have been originally built with this body.

MKK55 was commissioned by Steve Salem of Los Angeles to compete in the Carrera Pan American Road Race but was not completed in time for the 1954 race. The 1955 race was canceled. The car competed in sports car and drag racing events from 1955 to 1962, finding its way to Texas in the 1970s. The engine is a 1954 DeSoto, 291 CID, Hemi Fire Dome V-8, developing an estimated 275 HP at 5800 RPM.

This Kurtis has competed in many vintage racing events since 1990, including twelve Monterey Historics. It showed at Pebble Beach in 1993.

Roadster
Chassis number: 51

This 1954 Kurtis 500KK #51 was built on one of the last Indy-Car-Type chassis kits offered by Frank Kurtis. It has its original custom one-off Aluminum Roadster body built by California Metal Shaping, as well as its original unique SCOT-Supercharged Chevrolet inline-six built by engine guru 'California Bill' Fisher, who became the car's third owner. The first owner was Lou Borelli, and it then went to Kurtis employee Art Ingels. The high-torque, short rocker arm, 235 cubic-inch engine was offset to the right to side mount the Italian SCOT supercharger and twin Zenith carburetors. It has the original 1932 Ford three-speed transmission, Ford rear end, and drilled Lincoln drum brakes.

The builder kept a photo history of the car from the body-buck stage on, including a photo of the bare chassis car being driven around Los Angeles while the body was being built. Receipts from the original purchase are also available, even for the .064 inch aluminum sheeting.