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Rare and highly advanced for its day, the Muntz Jet spearheaded the personal luxury car segment long before the Ford Thunderbird.
Under the Historical Radar
1953 Muntz Jet – carsforsale.com | Shop 1953 Muntz Jet on Carsforsale.com
Today, Ford, GM, and Chrysler are known as the “Big Three,” the victors of a decades-long competition through the early and middle 20th century for market share in the burgeoning American automotive business. And while history is written by and therefore best remembers the victors, it’s instructive to recall the likes of Kaiser-Frazer, Nash, Hudson, Studebaker, and Packard, those smaller car companies that, though they didn’t prevail against Detroit’s titans, nonetheless produced plenty of fabulously cool cars along the way.
And while you might recognize a Nash or a Packard, odds are you’d have trouble placing the Muntz Jet if you were to see one in traffic. This ultra-rare early ‘50s roadster has a history as unique and unusual as its look. That’s why we chose this 1953 Muntz Jet as today’s Cool Car Find.
Personal Luxury Prototype
The Ford Thunderbird is widely considered the genesis for the once great and now defunct segment known as the personal luxury car. Upper-mid-market, refined, even stately, the Thunderbird and its ilk (think Oldsmobile Toronado and the Studebaker Avanti) were for many years a mainstay of US showrooms and driveways. It turns out the personal luxury car may not have begun with the Thunderbird but much earlier with a much lesser-known car, the Muntz Jet.
The Muntz Jet has its beginnings with the Kurtis Sports Car (KSC) company owned by racecar driver and designer Frank Kurtis. The first 28/29* of these two-seat roadsters were built in Glendale, CA by KSC before Kurtis sold the tooling and design to one Earl “Madman” Muntz.
Muntz was already a successful used car salesman (owing several dealerships including a Kaiser-Frazer dealership), a colorful radio personality, engineer, and entrepreneur. His “Madman” persona not only moved cars, Muntz made great use of it in promoting his Muntz Television, which launched in 1947 as the most affordable on the market at $100.
Muntz had always dreamed of getting into the car business proper and Kurtis’ car was just the ticket. So he bought the Jet, slapped his name on it, and got to work making it his own.
Ahead of its Time
Amond Muntz’s modifications, the mostly hand-built Jet was elongated to allow a backseat and the Ford V8 engine was swapped for a Cadillac V8. That engine in turn was replaced by a Lincoln V8, both V8s made around 160 horsepower, a very impressive number for 1950. The Jet could be ordered with either a Brog-Warner three-speed manual or a GM Hydra-Matic automatic transmission, the latest and greatest in transmission technology at the time. The car was fast for its day, with a top speed around 120 mph. The car featured a removeable fiberglass hardtop (later a Carson Top), power steering, and independent front suspension.
The Muntz Jet wasn’t just fast, as the progenitor of the personal luxury car, it offered all manner of innovative features. The color choices were wide and loud and included options like Mars Red, Stratosphere Blue, and Sunset Orange among many more. The upholstery too was varied and could be had in emu, leopard, snake, or alligator. The Jet also boasted advanced safety features including seat belts and a padded dashboard. There was even a center console, rare in those days, that could be optioned with a Motorola radio. But perhaps the swankiest of features in the Jet was the ice box hidden in the rear seat arm rest.
The Muntz Jet might have been an advanced and appealing car, but what it was not was profitable for “Madman” Muntz. Muntz initially charged $4,500 for the car, roughly $60,000 today. Struggling with profitability, the price was raised to $5,500 by 1953 and yet Muntz was still losing an estimated $1,000 per car. By 1954, Earl Muntz decided to cut his losses, around $400,000 in total, and closed shop on the Jet with a total of 198 cars built (some sources inflate this number up to 394, but most experts hew toward the lower estimate of fewer than 200 cars).
This Cool Car
The sparse number of Muntz Jets completed makes this Cool Car Find, a 1953 Muntz Jet in a brilliant Sunset Orange, exceptionally rare. You notice this example is in fantastic condition inside and out, including the black leather interior and white wall tires. Sadly, the hub caps are not original, as those would have featured Muntz’s insignia, a little Napoleon figure in boots and long underwear. Thankfully, you can still find this charming bit of branding situated on the center cap of the steering wheel. Under the hood is the 317.5 cu.-in. Lincoln V8 mated to the GM Hydra-Matic and equipped with a growling dual exhaust. As one of the later cars, this example saves weight with a removeable Carson Top rather than the early fiberglass variety.
This Muntz Jet isn’t just a slick looking ‘50s classic, it’s rare, unusual, and quite beautiful as well.
*Sources varied on this number.
You’d think the owner could afford something closer to the original air cleaner than what appears to have been “appropriated” from a 1980 Olds station wagon……
Close examination reveals a body style fashioned after the 356 Porsche,( or vice versa). IF he could have held on a bit longer,and got rid of the back seat, He was on track to gaving one of the best builds ever conceived!!! A 2 seat version would most assuredly have kept THIS beautiful beast in the heart of many a sports car enthusiast!!! Just an awesome ( a word that’s over used ALOT) looking AND performing car!!! Love it!!! I believe Jay Leno has one but, he has so many!!!; Maybe Jeff Dunham has it, he and Leno are good friends and both super car enthusiast!!! BRAVO!!! And thanks for the share!!!