Last updated on April 15, 2025
Today’s car is a 1953 Muntz Jet Convertible owned by Richard Tupper, which I photographed at the Manhattan Beach Cars & Coffee event at The Point in El Segundo, CA. The car is finished in champagne with a matching antelope suede and tan ostrich interior. It is powered by a 160 hp, 331 cu in Cadillac V8 engine with Rochester 4GC 4-barrel carburetors, mated to a 4-speed GM Hydramatic transmission with a 3.73:1 rear axle ratio. Slowing this beauty down are drum brakes at all four corners. The front independent suspension consists of A-arms, coil springs, and shock absorbers. The rear suspension is a live axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and shock absorbers. The car featured a padded dashboard and seat belts as standard equipment—safety items that were ahead of their time. This car is also equipped with a Muntz 4/8-track player.
The Muntz Jet began life as the Kurtis Sports Car (KSC) in 1949. It was a two-seat sports car designed by Frank Kurtis and later marketed by Earl Muntz. Only 18 units were ever produced in Glendale, CA. Earl “Madman” Muntz purchased the design rights to the Kurtis Sports Car for $200,000. He soon moved production from Glendale, California, to Evanston, Illinois, and later to Chicago.
Muntz stretched the wheelbase from 100 inches to 113 inches, increasing the overall length from 169 inches to 178 inches. With the help of race car driver Sam Hanks, he redesigned the car, converting it from a two-seater into a more practical four-seater. The car was renamed the Muntz Jet. Muntz said he chose the name “Jet” because jet aircraft were just emerging at the time, and the word symbolized speed. The Muntz Jet was a personal luxury car long before the debut of four-seat competitors like the 1958 Ford Thunderbird.
Muntz Jets were produced from 1951 to 1954, with a total of 198 cars built. It is estimated that only 47 of them still exist today. The MSRP was $5,500, at a time when a Cadillac convertible cost approximately $4,000 and a Lincoln convertible sold for around $3,700. It was rumored that Muntz lost $1,000 on each car. The published top speed was 109 mph, with a 0–60 mph time of 10.4 seconds.
This beautifully restored car offers a unique window into the future that once was—and the past that shaped personal luxury cars. It’s the great vehicle to bring to a Concours d’Elegance, an orphan car show, Cars & Coffee events, or just to share with friends on a Friday night at Cruise at the Beach in Redondo Beach, CA. Thank you for riding along. Frank
