The Muntz Car Company was created in Glendale, California in the early 1950s by 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 marque, and the Muntz design was influenced by its predecessor. Muntz produced only one model, the Jet, which was a full-size coupe.
The Jet was something of a hodgepodge, using some parts, such as engines, bought from other companies and some fabricated in-house. The body design was unique, however, and featured a removable hardtop, something of a rarity among full-size cars. It was sold as a sports car, but it was actually too large and heavy for that market segment. After the first prototypes, production was shifted to Evanston, Illinois.
The company managed to produce only about 400 cars during 1951-1954, and Muntz himself estimated that it lost about $1,000 on each car; this financial drain eventually caused him to close the company.
Muntz Jets today are valuable collector pieces. Their unusual roof and styling, and even more their extreme rarity, have given them a cachet that seems likely to endure.
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