page_title: Muntz Jet
section_title: Legacy
hierarchical_section_title: Muntz Jet / Legacy
caption_attribution_description: English: Muntz vehicles Español: Muntz vehicles Museo de Historia de la Automoción de Salamanca &#160;&#160;Native nameMuseo de Historia de la Automoción (Salamanca)LocationSalamanca, (Spain)Coordinates40°&#160;57′&#160;29.73″&#160;N, 5°&#160;40′&#160;00.95″&#160;W &#160;Established2002Web pagehttp://museoautomocion.com/es/PORTADA/Authority control : Q6034050 institution QS:P195,Q6034050
context_page_description: The Muntz Jet is a two-door hardtop convertible built by the Muntz Car Company in the United States between approximately 1949 and 1954. It is sometimes credited as the first personal luxury car. Developed from the Kurtis Sport Car that was designed by Frank Kurtis, it was produced and marketed by Earl "Madman" Muntz. The car was powered by one of two V8 engines, either a 160 hp Cadillac engine or a 160 hp Lincoln engine, and it was equipped with either a General Motors Hydramatic automatic transmission or a three-speed Borg-Warner manual transmission. The Jet was streamlined, featured numerous luxury appointments, and was equipped with safety features that were not standard on most cars of its day, including a padded dashboard and seat belts.
  Production of the Muntz Jet occurred in Glendale, California; Evanston, Illinois; and Chicago before ceasing in 1954. The car sold for $5,500 in 1953, but cost $6,500 to produce. In total, Muntz lost approximately $400,000 on the venture. Only 198 Jets were built, an estimated 50 to 130 of which are still in existence. By 2016, fully restored cars had sold for over $100,000 at auction.
context_section_description: In total, 198 Muntz Jets were built. Earlier estimates of 400 cars produced, a figure possibly sourced to Muntz himself, are now thought to be inaccurate. An estimated 50 to 130 of these cars are still in existence. There is no owner's club for the car, although a registry of owners that has accounted for about 125 cars by serial number does exist. Three Jets are owned by the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. By 2002, well restored Jets were selling at auction for $50,000 to $70,000. By 2016, fully restored cars had sold for over $100,000 at auction.
  In the assessment of Autoweek writer Graham Kozak, while the Jet "lacks the cachet of the Tucker...it stands on its own as a well-conceived, well-executed luxury convertible". According to author Matt Stone, the Muntz was "one of the fastest and best-performing American cars of the time". Turk Smith, writing in 1969, opined that a well tuned Jet "will still outperform most stock cars of today". In 1969, Muntz claimed that the 1958 Ford Thunderbird was inspired by the Jet, and quipped that "I was eight years ahead of my time" with his car.
  Thomas E. Bonsall credits the Jet as being the first personal luxury car. In 2000, Daily Herald journalist Jerry Turnquist called it "America's first, high performance, four-seat sports car". It is also an example of an orphan car. After production of the Jet ended in 1954, Muntz invented and manufactured the 4-track Stereo-Pak tape player, the predecessor of the 8-track tape player. In June 2000, Muntz's childhood home of Elgin celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Muntz Jet with a parade featuring numerous Jets and their owners.
caption: Muntz Jet at the Museo de Historia de la Automoción in Salamanca
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