The Muntz Car Company Was Created in Glendale, California Between 1950 and 1954 By Earl "Madman" Muntz, a Well Known Local Used Car Dealer and Electronics Retailer. He Was Assisted By Frank Kurtis, Who Had Earlier Attempted to Produce a Sports Car Under The Kurtis Kraft Marque (The Kurtis Kraft Sport, Which Sold Just 36 Units by 1950).
In 1951, Kurtis Sold The License to Manufacture the Cars to Muntz, Who Quickly Rebadged Them as The "Muntz Jet", Extended the Body to Make it a 4-Seater, and Exchanged The Ford Engine With a Larger Cadillac V8. Later, This Engine Would Be Replaced With a Less Expensive Lincoln Side-Valve V8.
The Car, A Sports Coupe, Was Manufactured in Evanston, Illinois and Featured it's Own Unique Design, With Aluminum Body Panels and a Removable Fiberglass Top That Were Manufactured In-House. Other Parts (Such as the Engines) Were Sourced From Other Manufacturers. It Was Capable of 112 mph, a Significant Achievement For a Road Car at the Time.
According to Company Records Researched by The Muntz Owners Club, Only a Total of 198 Cars Were Actually Built. Although Many Reference Publications List Close to 400 Cars Produced During 1951-1954. Due to the High Manufacturing Cost, Muntz Himself Estimated That His Company Lost About $1,000 On Each Car; This Financial Drain Eventually Caused Him to Close The Company.
Because The Cars Were Distinctive In Design, Well-Built and Good Performers For Their Time, Muntz Jets Today Are Rare and Valuable Collector Pieces, and Are Recognized as Predecessors to the Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Thunderbird
Madman Muntz
Earl William "Madman" Muntz (January 3, 1914 – June 21, 1987) Was an American Businessman and Engineer Who Sold and Promoted Cars and Consumer Electronics in the United States From the 1930's Until His Death in 1987. He Was a Pioneer in Television Commercials With His Oddball "Madman" Personality – An Alter Ego Who Generated Publicity With His Unusual Costumes, Stunts, and Outrageous Claims. Muntz Also Pioneered Car Stereos by Creating The Muntz Stereo-Pak, Better Known As The 4-Track Cartridge, a Predecessor to The 8-Track Cartridge Developed by Lear Industries.
He Invented the Practice That Came to be Known As Muntzing, Which Involved Simplifying Otherwise Complicated Electronic Devices. Muntz Produced and Marketed The First Black-and-White Television Receivers to Sell for Less Than $100, and Created One of the Earliest Functional Widescreen Projection TVs. He Was Credited With Coining The Abbreviation "TV" for Television, Although the Term Had Earlier Been in Use in Call Letters For Stations Such As WCBS-TV. A High School Dropout, Muntz Made Fortunes by Selling Automobiles, TV Receivers, and Car Stereos and Tapes. A 1968 Los Angeles Times Article Noted That in One Year He Sold $72 Million Worth of Cars, That Five Years Later He Sold $55 Million Worth of TV Receivers, and That in 1967 He Sold $30 Million Worth of Car Stereos and Tapes.
After His Success As A Used Car Salesman and With Kaiser-Frazer Dealerships in Los Angeles and New York City, Muntz Founded The Muntz Car Company, Which Made The "Muntz Jet", a Sports Car With Jet-Like Contours. The Car Was Manufactured Between 1951 and 1953.,
Muntz Married Seven Times. His Wives Included Actress Joan Barton (Who Appeared in Angel and The Badman With John Wayne) and Patricia Stevens of the Patricia Stevens Finishing Schools. Phyllis Diller Was Among His Many Girlfriends. He Was Friends With Celebrities Such as Singer Rudy Vallee, Comedian Jerry Colonna, Actor Bert Lahr, Television Presenter Dick Clark, and Actor Gene Autry.
Muntz Jet
In 1948, Race Car Designer and Kurtis-Kraft Founder Frank Kurtis Attempted to Market a New Sports Car, The Two-Seater Kurtis Kraft Sport. Only 36 Units Had Been Sold by 1950. In 1951, For Just $200,000, Kurtis Sold The Cars' Manufacturing License to Muntz, Who Quickly Rebadged Them As The "Muntz Jet". Initial Production of The Jet Took Place in Glendale, Where Muntz Extended the Two-Seater Kurtis Kraft Sport's Body by 13 inches (33 cm), Making it a Four-Seater, and Exchanged the Ford V8 Engine For a Larger Cadillac V8. Later, After Making Just 28 Jets in California, Muntz Moved Production to a New Factory in Evanston, Illinois, Extended the Body Further By 3 inches (8 cm), and Replaced the Cadillac V8 With a Less Expensive Lincoln Side Valve V8.
The Jet Was Featured on the Cover of the September 1951 Issue of Popular Science Along With a Jaguar and an MG. It Featured its Own Design, With Aluminum Body Panels and a Removable Fiberglass Top. Paint Schemes Were Extravagant, With Names Like "Mars Red", "Stratosphere Blue", and "Lime Mist", and Interior Options Included Alligator or Spanish Leatherette. The Backseat Armrests Contained a Full Cocktail Bar.
The Jet Was Capable of a Top Speed of 125 Miles Per Hour (201 km/h) and Acceleration of 0–50 mph (0–80 km/h) in 6 Seconds, a Significant Achievement For a Road Car at the Time. The Fastest Production Car in 1953 Was The Pegaso Z-102 Supercharged Sports Car at 155 miles per hour (249 km/h). Famous Jet Owners Included Then-CEO of CBS Frank Stanton, and Actors Mickey Rooney and Lash La Rue.