Frank Kurtis was a race car maestro, producing Midget, Sprint, and Indy cars starting in the late 1930s. He also built one-off and custom road cars. After WWII, he watched Americans pine for sports cars they met in Europe, and he witnessed the subsequent invasion of MGs, Healeys, Rileys, and other imports as the Continent strived to generate hard currency to rebuild its cities. Meanwhile, Nash’s Airflyte, the 1949 Mercury, and Hudson’s step-down were advancing the popularity of “envelope” styling. Kurtis translated that styling to a sports car just for America – long, low, sleek. He called it the Kurtis Sports Car, or KSC. The first prototype was made in 1949. Accounts vary as to construction materials, but it’s clear that fiberglass and aluminum were both in play. The production car was available both in kit form and finished. No one really knows how many of each were made but guesses range from fifteen to fifty. Here on eBay is a 1949 Kurtis Sports Car, listed at $150,000. The seller claims this is the first of two prototypes, identified with a tag reading “KB001”. It is located in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. This tip comes from T.J., master of the unusual.
The prototype was supposed to have been fitted with a supercharged Studebaker motor. Our subject car has an Oldsmobile Rocket engine with a tri-carb set-up and headers. It has a floor-shift three-speed automatic transmission; overdrive was an option. The seller can supply a video of the engine running; he says a generator bearing is failing, but otherwise, the motor sounds healthy. The car has not been driven except when he first purchased it eight years ago.
The interior shots are limited, but we can see the original seats are gone in favor of modern replacements. The car came with a hardtop – no photos are supplied but it is said to be a frame with wire mesh. The existence of the hardtop does synch with one description of the prototype that I was able to find. Production cars had convertible tops only.
The underside is clean, but the seller says corrosion has attacked the aluminum panels under the trim, as well as an area by the passenger side rear wheel. The car is on a 1949 Ford chassis and some parts of the body are steel. This mix of materials is slightly off-kilter versus reports of early production plans, which indicated more use of fiberglass. The car’s title does not clear up the question marks here: it is dated September 2022, not eight years ago, and does not have a VIN other than a number assigned by Arizona during a prior attempt to register it. There’s no question this is a Kurtis, but which Kurtis, production or prototype?
I remember Wayne Carini bought one and was featured on Chasing Classic Cars. I would think all the non original parts would make this car worth only a fraction of of what it could be.
Price drop, the BIN is now $125,000.
It’s going to need a ton of work. Those seats are the first to go.
Even at $125,000, A heavy investment to begin a major project that should have everything redone. Definitely a venture for those not faint of wallet. Now, where to source the correct supercharged Studebaker engine (anyone got a spare one laying around their garage for sale?) and then about every body panel will need some love to achieve a bit better panel alignment and fit. Then the panels will need to be “massaged” to prep for a new paint job. Wonder how bad the corrosion is under the trim. A bit different to body repair aluminum correctly than steel. Just open those purse strings.
Off hand, I’d say hands off.
Another great American original, the late 1940´s and ´50´s saw some truly great sports cars made by intrepid designers and builders, today largely forgotten. If I had the money, I would built an American car museum spezializing in these cars. It´s true, the seats have got to go, man they are jarring. Aside from that, hopefully a well heeled guy with the right mindset gives it a new home.
Interesting vehicle, but not as much for 125K.
First off, it’s a Kurtis Sport Car, that’s what Frank Kurtis called it. And that top the seller has? With the wire mesh, that’s the remains of the original Carson top that came with the car. A removable semi-hard top that looked sort of like a convertible.
Frank Kurtis was very much at the center of performance cars in that era, this was Motor Trend’s first road test vehicle, https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/1949-kurtis-sport-car-drive/ So it has quite a place in history.
And as we all recall, Kurtis sold the whole operation to Earl, “Mad Man” Muntz who turned them into more person luxury cars.
So it’s quite a piece of history, and as you say, research needs to be done.
Thank you for the correction on the name of the car. I only looked at the name a thousand times and still missed eliminating the “s”. Kurtis was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame along with many other “halls of fame” – a serious racing guy. The Sport Car was almost an asterisk to an illustrious career.
Michelle, You are in good company, it’s easy to miss. The article in Motor Trend in 1949 called it Sports in the second paragraph, first sentence.
This one is going to need a ton of work. Seller needs to rethink his price. Either that or for that price the seller needs to make sure all the necessary work is done. Any one who pays that kind of price for a vehicle with the problems of this one needs his head examined.
While I believe this is probably a Kurtis, it may well be one of the various “kits” he sold. As a kit, they didn’t come with a VIN, and kits could be had in various states of completeness. The info on the first few cars suggest they had a chassis from a ’49 Ford, and the underside photos don’t show anything close to a full frame, so that’s a red flag for now. And of course that Olds with a 3-carb manifold didn’t come out until [I believe] 1957 or ’58.
As a court recognized vehicle appraiser, What sets off my radar alarm is that Kurtis Kraft brass plate with the KR 001 number stamped in it. It’s not a 70 year old part. Stamped [or engraved] figures and numbers fill up with grime and corrosion. The numbers are freshly stamped in my opinion.
Yes, it’s very likely a Kurtis Kraft car, but If the owner can’t provide a paper and/or photographic chain to indicate it’s #001, or even ownership records, then I would have to discount the accuracy of that claim. If I was asked to appraise this vehicle, I would be inclined to appraise it as a Kurtis Kraft kit.
I would love to see a comment from another Kurtis owner.
Good point about the brass ‘VIN’ tag. Compare the patina of the tag with the patina of the handle next to it-obviously obvious
Well, a race car builder manufactured the car and the first normal? production car had at least three repowers (Stude/Ford/Caddy) so the motor is no big surprise. The body modifications were probably for cooling (louvers) and the underpinnings, who knows. It appears to be a unibody construction but in the under hood shot there looks like frame rails (Ford?) IF it is the first prototype and IF it could be proven then the price may make sense. If not it is probably a 70k car imo. Needs a ton of research and a in person inspection
No longer listed
My guess is it may have been a modified group I Muntz. Same bumpers, windshield actually looks like from a group II car which was slightly taller. I have a group I car and under the car looks very similar too.
Maybe not but maybe??
I have bought this car on a hope lol. and today I confirmed it is a kurtis built frame, and has studebaker front suspension, only the first 3 did according to franks grandson I talked too while buying the car. So I am very confident this is 001. It also has the fiberglass framed trunk the 001 should have.
Wow Brandon! Great news, hopefully all will work out for you! Congratulations, Ger