1_1947 kurtis-omohundro comet

— Dedication —

To the Dreamers, Thinkers, Visionaries, Constructors and Prospectors:

Work Hard, Have Fun, and Bring as Many People Along for the Ride as you can...

Paul Omohundro Behind the Wheel—Circa 1947 (Omohundro Family Collection)

PUBLISHED BY:

Undiscovered Classics

6306 Memorial Highway

Tampa, Florida 33615-4538

UndiscoveredClassics.com

PRODUCTION:

Authorship, Layout, and Design: Geoffrey R. Hacker, Ph.D. / Richard B. D’Louhy, Ph.D.

Artwork: Dan Palatnik, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Jimmy Smith, Phoenix, Arizona; John Caswell, Pasadena, California—Stewart Reed Design

PHOTO CREDITS:

Omohundro Family; Strother MacMinn Photography From The Collection of Robert Ames; Kent Walter; Jerry Ingram; Alex Boeriu;

John Bond Collection—Kettering University, Flint, Michigan, Geoffrey Hacker—Personal Photography

© 2012 BY UNDISCOVERED CLASSICS

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

EDITION:

Specially Prepared and Printed For The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance August 19th, 2012: Sport Customs Class

All rights reserved for all countries, including the right of translation. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in

any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording, xerography, computer scanning or any

information or storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher, except

where one wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast.

Phil Fleming Driving the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, 2009.

Artwork: Dan Palatnik, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2009.

1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet—As Found in Columbus, Ohio in 2007—Alex Boeriu, Owner 1986-2007.

Research is a funny thing. You never know where it will take you. But what you secretly hope is that someday you’ll “grab a tiger by the tail” and find yourself in a full-blown adventure.

That “someday” happened for me when I met Phil Fleming in 2007. I began a quest with my co-author Rick D’Louhy and Phil Fleming to find two special cars from Phil’s youth— two Kurtis-Kraft sport cars from Phil’s hometown of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan—lost to time. Ultimately, this search would culminate in finding and writing about what are now known as:

“America’s First Postwar Sports Cars”

A class of car known then and now as “Sport Customs.”

Documenting early postwar sports cars has been a passion of mine that has led to assembling the largest and most comprehensive collection of American literature relating to cars of this type known today.

It was from this cumulative database that Rick and I were able to determine chronology, production, and creation of coachbuilt, custom built, and hand-crafted American postwar sports cars. This movement started in 1945 with the design of the first Kurtis-Omohundro Comet (Motor Trend, October 1950) and culminated in the late ’50s.

From a close review of this information, we learned that the “Comet”— designed by Frank Kurtis of Glendale, California, and built by Paul Omohundro of Bellflower, California, was a very special car. It was the earliest conceived, designed, built, and written about sports car in postwar America—with production plans to boot. Two cars were ultimately built.

During this research, uncovered documentation revealed:

An initial press release in 1946 of the “Comet” with specifications and plans for its design and production

The appearance of the “Comet” in 1947 in the first printing and distribution of Dan Post’s California Custom Car Photo Album

Continued appearances in various Dan Post publications showcasing sports and custom cars from 1947 through 1955

This heritage makes the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet the first coachbuilt sports car that was documented, photographed and written about in postwar America.

These early postwar sports cars are often referred to as “Sport Customs,” because of the interesting nexus they occupy.

Larger and more powerful than their prewar sports car counterparts of Great Britain (MG’s, Singers, etc.), American Sport Customs simultaneously reveal both elements of custom cars and sports cars at a time when both genres were at their genesis in postwar America.

As America advanced beyond the early postwar years, sports and custom cars would diverge from their common heritage. Sports cars would shrink in size (the Comet had a wheelbase of 112 inches) and grow in power while “custom cars” would begin to incorporate more elements of “restyling” than “innovation” in design.

I hope you enjoy learning more about the birth of sports cars in postwar America as presented on the field by the class of “Sport Custom” cars at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August, 2012.

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The Individuals: When World War II ended in August of 1945, Frank Kurtis and Paul Omohundro were hard at work putting together the foundations of their respective companies. Each would become a powerhouse in his own area. Frank Kurtis would go on to build a race car dynasty from the late ‘40s through the ‘50s. Paul Omohundro would continue expanding his drop hammer tooling company (Comet Company) and then turn to fiberglass—building one of the most successful industrial plastics firms in Southern California by the mid ‘50s. The Automobile: Designed in 1945, built in 1946, and debuted in early 1947, the Comet’s lower center of gravity, high performance engine, and streamlined body established the concept for all subsequent postwar sports cars in America. This car is one of two coachbuilt sports cars conceived, designed working with Frank Kurtis, built, and sold by Paul Omohundro’s Comet Company of Los Angeles California between 1945 and 1948. The 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet represents not only the first American postwar sports car, but also reveals the earliest sports and custom car features that many ‘50s era builders would use including:

Low slung streamlined body Lightweight body (aluminum) Speed equipment (Edelbrock aluminum heads and intake manifold) Interior door handles only (reach inside to open each door) Custom coachwork throughout

All body panels are handcrafted in aluminum. The grille and windshield frame are cast in bronze and chrome plated.

Nearly Built In Fiberglass:

According to Motor Trend Magazine, Custom Cars Book 101 (1951), the “Comet” was originally designed to use the new postwar wonder material—fiberglass—which would have made it America’s first fiberglass sports car.

However, material shortages in the immediate postwar era impacted the plans and the Comet was built using lightweight aluminum as its skin.

Designer:

Frank Kurtis: One of the earliest designers of custom, sports, and race cars in America, and whose company, Kurtis-Kraft, ultimately became the “World’s Largest Manufacturer of Racing Cars.” The Kurtis-Kraft Company was especially known for designing and building highly successful midget and larger race cars. These included Sprint and Championship cars that achieved winning records at the Indianapolis 500. Co-Designer and Builder:

Paul Omohundro: Owner of the drop hammer tooling “Comet Company” of Los Angeles. Omohundro also produced aluminum race car bodies for Kurtis, and collaborated on the production of fiberglass panels for the 1949-1950 Kurtis Sport Car. This was the first use of fiberglass for a production automobile.

Part I of the book reviews the history of this automobile, its heritage, the builders, and specifications.

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Mechanicals:

Engine: 1946 Mercury Flathead (239 cubic inches) — Maximum brake horsepower: 100 @ 3800 RPM

Speed Equipment: Edelbrock aluminum heads and intake — Edelbrock catalog first published in 1946

Transmission: Three-speed Ford manual

Chassis: 1940 Ford

Top Speed: Excess of 100 mph

Production:

Designed: 1945 (Motor Trend, October, 1950)

Built: 1946 (Press Release, 1946)

Debuted: 1947 (California Custom Car Photo Album — Dan Post Publishing, 1947)

Produced: Only one coachbuilt car with these specifications

Cost: $5000—including donor car

Official Name: “Comet”

Body Design: Frank Kurtis—Kurtis-Kraft, Glendale, California

Built By: Paul Omohundro—Comet Company — Los Angeles, California

Sold By: Comet Company, Los Angeles, California

Specifications:

Wheel Base: 112”

Track (measured from center of tires): Front 57” / Rear 59“

Length: 199” bumper to bumper

Width: 75” at widest point – front bumper

Height: 53” at top of windshield

Body Design: Sport Custom —Streamlined with pontoon fenders

Body Material: Aluminum

Weight: 2500 lbs.

Upholstery: Leather

Instrumentation: Stewart-Warner instruments and panel

Door Handles: Interior only

Trunk: None – Storage behind seat

Hood Direction: Clamshell opening—opens from rear

Grille: Custom cast bronze - Kurtis-Kraft style

Doors: Extend to bottom of frame — Frame visible when doors open

Windshield: Two piece custom cast bronze frame

Steering Wheel: 1939 Ford—banjo style

Taillights: 1940 Plymouth

Stone Guards: Custom built

Wheels: 1935 Ford 16” wire wheels

Tires: 600 x 16”

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One of Several Locations Used by Frank Kurtis and Kurtis-Kraft Over the Lifespan of his Company.

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Part II of the book reviews the history of Frank Kurtis, Paul Omohundro, and their business relationship over a number of projects. Also shown are vintage publications

featuring the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet, vintage photography, and written histories from individuals who remember the car and its history.

Frank Kurtis and Paul Omohundro were lifelong friends. They collaborated in the ’40s on three projects that were in the forefront of the coachbuilding, race car, and

sports car industry:

Stamping of Aluminum Midget Racing Bodies: Paul Omohundro’s Comet Company of Los Angeles was a short distance from Frank’s Glendale, California

Kurtis-Kraft plant. The Comet Company stamped midget racing bodies in aluminum for Kurtis-Kraft during their busiest years from 1946 to 1948.

References: (Kurtis-Kraft: Masterworks of Speed and Style, 2001, by Gordon Eliot White; Frank Kurtis (1986) and Paul Omohundro (1981) personal correspondence

from ‘80s; Omohundro family interviews).

1947 and 1948 Kurtis-Omohundro Comets: Frank Kurtis adapted the design for these cars from the 1940 sports car he designed and built for Bill Hughes.

Reference: (Frank Kurtis Letter, 1986).

Kurtis Sport Car Fiberglass Panels: Their final business collaboration was the design and supply of fiberglass fenders (front and rear), trunk, and hood from Paul

Omohundro’s Comet Company. In working together, they created the first production car in the world to incorporate fiberglass panels in its design.

Reference: Motor Trend, October, 1950.

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Frank Kurtis Shown at Upper Left. Upper Right Photo Shows the Sports / Race Car Frank Kurtis Built for Tommy Lee in 1937.

Also Shown is a 1946 Kurtis Midget With Offenhauser Engine, and a Kurtis Indianapolis Race Car Built by Kurtis and Driven by Bill Vukovich to Victory at the “500” in 1953.

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Frank Kurtis, born in Colorado in 1908, began building race cars in the early ’30s and then established the Kurtis-Kraft shop in 1938. His great success in

building race cars first came in the immediate postwar era (1946—1948). By 1949 he began using the advertising slogan:

”World’s Largest Manufacturer of Racing Cars.”

Kurtis designed racing midgets which were the first race cars to use full torsion-bar suspension. As early as 1936 Frank Kurtis built racers with an offset

engine—an innovation not seen at Indianapolis until 1952. In addition to making over 800 midgets and selling several hundred midget kits, Kurtis

built 58 Indianapolis cars, including the 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, and 1955 Indianapolis 500 winners. In the 1953 race, 24 of the 33 cars in the race

were Kurtis roadsters.

Also built by Kurtis were the famed Novis powered race cars. While failing to win, they were great crowd pleasers at the Speedway. Kurtis also

constructed the Cummins Diesel powered race car in which Freddy Agabashian earned the pole at Indianapolis in 1952 establishing one-lap and four-lap

qualifying records.

On the West Coast, Bill Stroppe, later to become associated with Holman Moody as well as other Ford Motor Company high-performance efforts,

successfully drove Ford powered Kurtis sports cars. And in 1954, Jack Ensley won the Sports Car Club of America “B” modified national championship

driving a Kurtis-Kraft Special.

Kurtis was also noted for building sports cars. The first one he built was for Tommy Lee and was a dual-purpose sports and race car. The second one

constructed started in 1939 and was commissioned by Bill Hughes of Denver, Colorado. In the postwar years, Kurtis provided the design and

collaborated with Paul Omohundro in the production of two sports cars manufactured by Paul Omohundro’s Comet Company. Frank Kurtis then set out

to create his next sports car which was the Kurtis-Buick—an all aluminum coachbuilt beauty that he debuted in 1948 on a cross-country trip to watch the

Indianapolis 500.

Ultimately, the 1948 Kurtis-Buick led to Frank’s creation of America’s first production sports car—the Kurtis Sport Car—manufactured in 1949 and 1950.

Earl “Mad Man” Muntz bought the rights to produce this car in 1951 and lengthened the car to accommodate two additional passengers. The car was

rebadged as a “Muntz Jet” and sold through 1954.

Kurtis built over 2000 race cars and sports cars between 1938 and 1962 when he made his last Indianapolis roadster. He was elected to the Auto Racing

Hall of Fame in 1983, and passed away on February 17, 1987 at the age of 79.

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Paul Omohundro Standing by his Second Car—the 1948 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet—Circa 1948 (Omohundro Family Collection).

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Paul Hardwicke Omohundro Jr, was born on January 18, 1915. He loved cars so much that as he was growing up, he made sure his

sisters, Heloise and Lucretia, knew the make and model of every car on the road when they were only seven and eight years old .

Paul started his professional life at a young age when shortly after his high school graduation in 1933, the family moved to

Bellflower, California, and he sought work at the local gas station —”The Green and White.”

He got the job by suggesting he should work for no pay for a week. By the end of that week he was hired — $1.25 per day—

not a bad rate for the day. The owner was so impressed with Paul’s work ethic that he ran an ad in the local newspaper invit ing

patrons to “Come in and meet Paul.” Paul ultimately left the “Green and White” to work at Vultee Aircraft and then Lockheed

in the foundry.

In the mid ’40s, Paul started the Comet Company in Los Angeles, California, specializing in stamping and foundry processes in

making metal parts. In the later ‘40s, he opened the Paul Omohundro Company in Paramount, California, specializing in

reinforced plastics.

As the company grew, he gravitated toward the defense industry, and in 1957 he sold the business to U.S. Chemical Milling.

Retirement was not all Paul thought it would be, so in 1963 he re -opened the Omohundro Company in Costa Mesa, California,

focusing on products made from reinforced plastics, particularly radomes.

During Paul’s later years, he and his wife Lois spent much of their leisure time traveling from their home base in Nevada. S ince

driving was in his blood, he drove two and three times a day to his son’s business in Minden, Nevada, “just to check in on th e boys.”

He would often drive to Carson City, Reno, or even Bend, Oregon, to meet the people he was doing business with saying he

preferred “to look ‘em in the eyes” rather than calling.

Paul was ultimately recognized as a pioneer in the field of composites, and sold the business to his son Tom in 1978. He

passed away on December 1, 2004 at the age of 89. Paul’s legacy lives on through his friends and family who acknowledge him

as a visionary. The embodiment of his spirit is shown in his development of the Comet sports car and his subsequent successf ul

business ventures.

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:

1946: Press Release

1947: California Custom Car Photo Album (Dan Post, Publisher)

1949: Blue Book of Custom Restyling (Dan Post, Publisher)

1951: Blue Book of Custom Restyling Enlarged Super Edition (Dan Post, Publisher)

1952: Blue Book of Custom Restyling (Dan Post, Publisher)

1965: Menifee County Newspaper, Carlisle, Kentucky

1974: June—Car Classics—The Journal of Automobile Collecting. Article by R. Perry Zavitz on Postwar Cars

1977: November-December— Special-Interest Autos. Article by Ray Scroggins on Sport Custom Cars featuring Strother MacMinn photography

1980: Encyclopedia of American Cars: 1946 to 1959; James H. Moloney, George H. Dammann


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The timing and debut of the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet place it at the inception of the sports car movement in postwar America.

The Comet was designed in 1945, built in 1946, and debuted in early 1947. No earlier coachbuilt sports car has been documented in postwar American sports car magazines or car enthusiast literature.

In researching this aspect of the car’s history, it was necessary to establish key publications that were available to the American public in the early postwar years. The first American postwar automobile enthusiast magazines weren’t published until mid 1947. The ‘47 Comet had already debuted by this time.

The first magazine to appear was Speed Age in May, 1947. The next was Road & Track in June, 1947. Hot Rod Magazine would debut in January, 1948, and Motor Trend would follow in September, 1949.

Prior to and subsequent to these dates, sports and custom cars appeared in magazines such as Colliers, Argosy, Popular Mechanics, and Mechanix Illustrated.

In establishing the heritage of the “Comet”, we looked deeper, and spear-headed a three year project to document the earliest war time and postwar custom and sports car literature in print in America and abroad.

This culminated with a seminal article published by The Rodder’s Journal titled “Customs in Print” that appeared in the Fall of 2009.

In this article, the author (Harold Pace) and I revealed the full breadth and depth of booklets published about American custom cars and sports cars.

This literature started in 1944 with Dan Post Publications, and continued with booklets published by Ed Almquist in 1946. Both publishers continued publishing literature in this area through mid ’50s.

Taking this further, we identified other customs and sports cars in print using booklets produced by early speed and custom companies such as Newhouse Automotive Industries and California Bill’s.

At the end of this project, we created the first chronology and history of early postwar American sports and custom cars starting from 1947 and moving forward. This included a class of cars first titled in print by Dan Post in 1947 called “Sport Custom Cars.”

These were cars that embodied elements of both “sports” and “custom” cars, and are the earliest known sports cars built in postwar America.

Points of Interest: Paul Omohundro and his “Comet sports cars” appeared in—and were featured in—many early automotive magazines including: the

February, 1949 issue of Road & Track (R & T’s fifth issue ); May 13th, 1949 issue of Autocar (UK); December, 1949 issue of Popular Mechanics; October, 1950

issue of Motor Trend; 1951 Trend Book 101 on Custom Cars; September, 1951 issue of Motor Trend; and August, 1952 issue of Motor Trend.

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1946 Design Concept Photo (Media-Airbrush) Distributed To Press with Production Plans and Specifications.

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The Press Release Discussed the Following Points as Related to Planned Production of Multiple Cars:

Designed by Frank Kurtis and offered by the Comet Company of Los Angeles, the “Comet” will debut in early 1947. Designed to fit any stock Ford chassis,

the body combines aluminum panels and steel bracing with a result that reduces body weight from the original Ford by fifty percent.

Extensive use of drop hammer tooling will be used to produce the body, and a wide range of lacquer finishes and upholstery material will be available for

putting the finishing touches on the sports car. The “Comet” will retail for $3450 and is being produced by the Comet Company, 13007 South Main Street,

Los Angeles, California. When ordered, the buyer must supply the “donor” Ford automobile and deliver it to the factory.

Points of Interest: As a reference, a new 1947 Ford cost around $1500, increasing the cost of a completed “Comet” sports car to nearly $5000. The date on the

license plate shown on the design concept on opposite page is 1946; fender skirts did not make final production—but most other design features did. The “Moon”

caps were an interesting design touch suggesting streamlining and speed—a very early use of this accessory in the southern California sports and custom car scene.

Paul Omohundro had been working with Ford in the immediate postwar era to procure frames. Ford committed to supplying frames in 1945, but then pulled their

support in early 1946—perhaps because Ford car sales were very strong. New cars (Ford) were just coming on the market for the first time since early 1942, and

“surplus” frames may not have been available See Appendix for John Bond’s request for Ford frames—also turned down in 1948.


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Blue Book of

Custom Restyling

First Edition:

1949

Subsequent Printings:

1950, 1951

Blue Book of

Custom Restyling

Enlarged Super Edition

First Edition:

1951


1952

Blue Book of

Custom Restyling

First Edition:

1952


1953-1955

California Custom Car

Photo Album

First Edition:

1947


1948, 1949

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Dan Post’s “California Custom Photo Album” 1947—the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet was the Only Postwar Coachbuilt Sports Car Shown.

Both the Hughes Kurtis-Kraft Sport Car and the “Kurtis-Omohundro Comet” Appear on Facing Pages.

This Same Information was Repeated in 1949, 1951, and 1952 Editions.

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In Dan Post’s Second Book (1949), the “Comet” is Shown With Three Other Postwar Coachbuilt Cars. These Include the Hewson “Rocket” (1946) Built by Coachcraft,

Gordon Buehrig’s “Tasco” (1948) Built by Derham, and the Kurtis-Buick (1948) Built by Kurtis-Kraft. While the “Rocket” and the Tasco Had Attributes of Concept Cars in

Design and Technology, the Kurtis-Buick was Aimed Squarely at the Sports Car Market. It Ultimately Led to the Design and Creation of America’s First Production

Sports Car in 1949—The Kurtis Sport Car.

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1965 Menifee County News, Kentucky. Close-Up of Feature Story Shown at Left.

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Strother MacMinn Photo of 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet Credited and Used in November-December 1977 Issue of Special-Interest Autos “Sport Customs” —

Article by Ray I. Scroggins. The Car, Inset, Is Shown, at Center of Page at Right (Above). Other Contributors to the Article Were John Bond of Road & Track and

Dan Post — who Produced the Earliest Known Written and Photo Publications on Sports and Customs Cars in America.

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1947: Strother MacMinn Photography (Bob Ames Collection)

1947: Paul Omohundro at Wheel (Omohundro Family Collection)

1947: Profile View (John Bond Archives, Kettering University)

1954: Photos Showing Car When Owned by Sam Cornell (Kent Walter Collection)

1967: Photos Showing Car When Owned by Jerry Ingram (Jerry Ingram Collection)

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Circa 1947: From the John Bond Archives, Kettering University—Flint, Michigan.

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Paul Omohundro Behind the Wheel Circa 1947 (Omohundro Family Collection).

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Photo by Strother MacMinn Circa 1947 (Bob Ames Collection). Notice Rear Fenders Being Prepared for Stone Guard Application.

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Photo by Strother MacMinn Circa 1947 (Bob Ames Collection). Notice Rear Fenders Being Prepared for Stone Guard Application.

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Photo by Strother MacMinn Circa 1947 (Bob Ames Collection).

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Photo by Strother MacMinn Circa 1947 (Bob Ames Collection).

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Sam Cornell—Owner From 1947-1959. Sam’s Nephew, Kent Walter, is Shown in Photos at Top of Page on Vacation in Florida

(East Coast) in ‘53-’54. These Photos Show Kent Walter With a Friend or Relative (not Sam). Photos at Bottom of Page

Show Kent Washing Car at his Home in Berkley, Michigan, in Late ‘50s.

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Here are Photos of Jerry Ingram With the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet

— Circa 1967. Jerry Owned The Car From 1965-1975.

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Strother MacMinn Photo of 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet Credited and Used in November-December, 1977 Issue of Special-Interest Autos for “Sport Customs” Article by

Ray I. Scroggins. Photo is Blurry due to Small Original Size Shown in Magazine. See Page 20, Earlier in this Book, for Inset of Article Showing Above Photo.

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Phil Fleming Remembers...

Jerry Ingram Remembers…

Kent Walter Remembers...

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The following story is written by Phil Fleming who initiated the research discussed in this book. He was kind enough to document his memories of both Kurtis-Omohundro Comets as a young man in ’50s Detroit.

Kurtis-Kraft Sports Cars at Cranbrook School

Background:

I attended Cranbrook School for Boys in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan from the 6th grade through the 12th grade, graduating in June, 1957. Cranbrook is a boarding school, but also has day students attending it. I was a day student.

The boys’ school student body is primarily from the families of automobile executives and the owners of businesses that support the automobile industry. In brief, the people in the area are entirely consumed with the automobile business. The day students drove unusual cars.

Two of the most interesting cars in the day-student parking lot were then referred to as “Kurtis-Krafts” and were driven by a sophomore, Kent Walter. The two cars each had Kurtis-Kraft emblems above the front grill. Kent attended Cranbrook from February, 1953 through June, 1954.

Remembering the Cars:

I vividly remember the “Kurtis-Krafts” in 1953 - 1954:

Color: The cars were nearly identical, except for color. I remembered one of them as metallic bronze. The other I remembered as metallic dark blue.

Power Train: The bronze car was powered by a Cadillac V-8 with an automatic transmission. The blue/black car was powered by a flathead Mercury and had a standard transmission.

Accessories: Both cars had “flipper” hub caps and very distinctive tires (US Royal Masters with a very thin white wall) at the time. I mentioned the hubcaps in a letter to Geoff Hacker dated February 6, 2007, predating his discovery of an illustration of the same hubcaps found on a virtually identical car in Custom Cars Trend Book 101.

Windshield Wipers: I remember Kent once talking about getting caught driving one of the cars in the rain, and having a terrible time seeing through the windshield because of some problem with the windshield wipers. See comments below re: windshield wipers in photographs.

Two Cars, Not One: Kent told us that his uncle was the owner of both cars, and let him drive them. Kent would alternate between the cars, what seemed like, every few weeks.

Phil Fleming at Amelia Island, Florida, 2009.

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Phil Continues:

When The Cars Were Sold:

Sometime around 1959 or 1960, I noticed a classified ad in the Detroit News for two matching Kurtis-Kraft cars! I called the person selling the cars. He was Kent’s uncle, because I recall mentioning Kent’s name and the seller very abruptly told me his nephew was not the owner of the cars, he was. He was not interested in talk-ing to a kid (me, who couldn’t afford them) about the cars and ended the conversation quickly.

A Conversation with Kent Walter

On December 18, 2007, I contacted Kent via phone for the first time since I spoke with him in 1954. He didn’t remember the incident about having trouble driving in the rain. When I mentioned the dark blue car, Kent Walter corrected me saying the car was black. He told me that his uncle’s name, the owner of the cars, was Sam Cornell. Apparently Sam had a home in Florida and probably one in Berkley or in suburban Detroit. Sam sold the cars around 1959 – 1961. The buyer(s) is/are unknown. Sam died in 1986.

Kent said that one of the cars (he didn’t mention which one) was said to previously have been owned by Mickey Rooney—the Hollywood star. And, a California resident.

Kent agreed to send me four snapshots of the two cars. They arrived in early January, 2007. I told Kent that I in-tended to run an ad in Hemmings using one of the pictures of the car in order to try to find someone who would know something about the cars. That was fine with him. Before I got around to do that, Geoff Hacker called me.

I then instead sent copies of the snapshots to Geoff Hacker and we pursued another path of inquiry which is un-folding as I write this.

Period Photographs

The photos show the cars exactly as I remember them, except the “dark blue” car is shown as a “black” car. The last time I saw the cars was in 1954. The snapshots of the bronze car were taken in Florida (Kent drove it there) in the winter of 1958.

The snapshots of the black car were taken in the summer of 1959. Either I am mistaken about the color of the dark blue car, or it was repainted black after 1954. One snapshot shows that the bronze car lacks windshield wip-ers! That ties to the story about the difficulty encountered driving in the rain.

Summary/Comments

The two cars were radical in 1953. Note the photograph of Kent standing next to the black car … the beltline is well below his waist … and Kent was only about 5’8” or so … thus, these cars were LOW!

That concludes my summary of my recollections and recent phone conversations with Kent Walter.

Sincerely,

Phil Fleming (April 2, 2007)

Phil Fleming Holding

“Most Elegant Sports Car Award”

Garnered by the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet at

Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, 2009.

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The following story is a result of several interviews conducted with Jerry Ingram in 2008. Jerry owned the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet From 1965 to 1975.

Jerry bought the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet in 1965. It was fitted with a white canvas top with side

curtains which had an opening so you could reach your hand through and open the doors. It did not have

a radio or heater so Jerry installed a heater—no radio though.

The engine was a 1949 or newer when Jerry bought it—the original 1946 Mercury Flathead had been

replaced. It was originally offered for $1800 in 1964 and it remained unsold for about a year until he

bought it in 1965 for $575.

The Comet had electric windshield wipers when he bought it, but they were not timed together – two

different electric motors and mechanisms had been installed. The car had fog lights— see the article in the 1965 Menifee County newspaper that shows a picture of

Jerry with the car. Jerry also built the battery box which is still in place today (2012). When he left to serve in the military in 1966, the Comet sat in Frenchburg,

Kentucky for four years –in storage—until he got out.

In August ‘70, Jerry was honorably discharged and moved to California—without the Comet. He returned to Frenchburg, Kentucky in 1972 and brought the Kurtis-

Omohundro Comet to his new home in Sacramento, California. Jerry lived in Sacramento for 2 years, and then moved back with his wife to Frenchburg, Kentucky in

1974. The Comet was red when Jerry bought it in 1965 (it was red the year before in 1964, too). While in California, Jerry painted it yellow. He then proceeded to

drive it throughout California for 2 years. Jerry sold it in 1975, back in Frenchburg, Kentucky, and it was yellow when he sold it.

Jerry shared that when he was preparing to paint it yellow, he sanded down the car, and remembered that the first layer of paint was black. This was followed by a

white or beige layer, and next, green. The final color was red—as he bought it in 1965.

Phil Fleming remembers the car as beige - which fits with the color found above. Phil remembers talking to Kent Walter (Kent’s family owned both Kurtis-

Omohundro Comets in the ’50s) about the car’s colors. Kent said he remembered the car as green – which is probably the car in the pictures that shows Kent

washing it at his home in Berkley, Michigan. These pictures were taken in the late ’50s based on the 1956 Dodge hubcaps and Kent’s memory. Kent’s pictures of the

car in Florida are from the early to mid ’50s and most likely show the Comet in its second color – metallic beige or tan.

When Jerry owned the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet, it had a Mercury steering wheel and column shifter. It had all leather upholstery with white inserts and

outside black edges. There was a two-inch roll of leather over the top of the dashboard, and the top of the doors was rolled with two inches of leather, too. Behind

the doors and around the back of the cockpit was a one inch-roll of leather. Each door had pockets down the side for storing items.

Jerry also remembered that the windshield had three large studs in each of the high corners—used to anchor the convertible top. There were also snaps on the body

for fastening the convertible top and side curtains. He also remembered that the fender welt was originally chrome beading. Jerry traded it to Leon Hopper in 1975

for a nearly new pickup truck worth about $3500. He never saw his car again until Alex Boeriu (owner 1986-2007) contacted him.

Geoff Hacker: Interview With Jerry Ingram (Summer, 2008)

Jerry Ingram At Amelia Island, Florida, 2009.

35

Jerry Ingram and his Wife Joanne at Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance , Florida, 2009.

36

The following story results from several interviews conducted with Kent Walter in 2009. Kent’s Uncle,

Sam Cornell, owned both Kurtis-Omohundro Comet sports cars from the early 1950s through 1959.

Sam Cornell owned both the 1947 and 1948 Kurtis-Omohundro sports cars in the ’50s in Royal Oak, Michigan—which is remarkable if you think about it. Both sports cars were built nearly a continent away—in California. Yet the same man ended up with both cars starting with the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet in the late ’40s and acquiring the Cadillac powered 1948 Comet in late 1952.

Sam had two younger brothers, Bruce and Frank, and a sister Jessie. Together the three brothers and their father (Samuel Cornell), owned the Hawthorne Metal Products Company founded by Samuel Cornell in 1934 in Royal Oak, Michigan. This was a very successful metal stamping firm for auto manufacturers, producing dashboard parts, fender parts, and other large-scale metal parts. They continue in operation as of 2012.

Sam Cornell’s nephew was Kent Walter—son of his sister Jessie. Sam never married and Kent became like a son to him. That’s probably why Kent got access to both Kurtis-Omohundro Comets or “Kurtis-Kraft” Sports Cars—as Sam and Kent called them. And, of course, Sam trusted Kent and allowed him to drive the cars to school frequently. He even allowed Kent to take the 1947 Comet to Florida on a planned vacation with friends.

Kent Walter was in his late teens when he is shown washing the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet at his home in Berkley, Michigan in the late ’50s. The first time Kent was seen in the pictures is when he drove it to Florida (Daytona Beach area), and he is shown in the car with a distant relative (not Sam Cornell.) Kent spent most of his time with the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet. He drove it to school, around town, and to Florida at least once.

Sam Cornell piloted the 1948 Comet more often than his 1947 Comet. The ‘48 offered more power with its larger 346 cubic inch flathead Cadillac V-8; it was also easier to drive with its automatic transmission; it was a bit more elegant; and it had a roomier interior which could accommodate passengers behind the front seat. Kent primarily drove the 1947 Comet equipped with a 239 cubic inch Mercury flathead V-8 engine and manual transmission, though on a few occasions, he did drive the Cadillac powered car.

Why Did Both Kurtis-Omohundro Comets “Disappear” From History?

Sam Cornell was not an ostentatious man. He never took his Kurtis-Kraft sports cars to car shows, and never showed them off. He rarely drove either of them. This explains why both cars disappeared from history as soon as Sam bought them—starting with the 1947 car in the late ’40s and the 1948 car in 1952. By the time Sam Cornell sold them in 1959/1960, these sports cars had not been widely viewed by custom or sports car enthusiasts who would have appreciated them and might have recognized their significance to the American car culture. This helps explain why the cars seemingly vanished from history despite receiving great acclaim when they debuted in California.

What Interested Sam Enough To Purchase Both Comet Sports Cars?

We may never know exactly why these cars appealed to Sam, but we certainly have a good idea of how he may have known them. Perhaps Sam was in direct contact with either Frank Kurtis (race car fabricator) or Paul Omohundro—who owned the Comet Company (a drop forge metal stamping company). All three of these men were in the same business of making patterns and stamping metal pieces for other companies and/or producing cars. That may be how Sam Cornell found out about both Comet sports cars being available and for sale over the years. Direct contact, as peers in the same business area, would have been a possibility. (Note: The 1948 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet was sold to Jim Neidy in nearby Detroit, Michigan before being purchased by Sam Cornell in late 1952 (copy of ad found In: Road & Track, August, 1952).

Kent remembered that the 1947 Comet was bronze, and in the Florida vacation pictures you can see it was light colored - perhaps bronze. A year or two later when Kent is seen in the photos washing the car, it had already been repainted black or dark green. Those are the only two colors he remembered the 1947 Comet being painted.

Geoff Hacker: Interview With Kent Walter—Sam Cornell’s Nephew (Spring, 2009)

Picture on Street Taken During Kent’s Florida

Vacation (East Coast) in 1953-1954. Photo Shows

Kent Walter and friend/relative (not Sam).

37

Sam Cornell’s Home — Where the Kurtis-Omohundro Comets Resided in the ‘50s Hawthorne Metal Products Company Catalog Page Shown Above.

Samuel E. Cornell, Kent Walter’s Uncle, Owned Both

Comets During Most of the ‘50s, and was President

of Hawthorne Metal Products Company.

All Photos on This Page Except Bottom Left are

From the Company Catalog.

38

“I Found the Car – Before I Knew I was Looking for It…”

Letter From Phil Fleming

to Geoff Hacker Dated

February 6th, 2007.

We Had Already Found

the First Kurtis-Kraft on

December 7th, 2006—

Two Months Earlier.

It Would Take Until April

21st, 2007, to Realize This

and Begin the

Confirmation Process of

its Identify.

By November 6th, 2007, We

had Purchased the First

Kurtis-Omohundro Comet.

One Kurtis-Kraft Down—

One Kurtis-Kraft To Go.

39

Part III of the book reveals the beginnings of the modern story—how and why the research began, the man (Alex Boeriu) who bought and restored the car in the mid

‘80s, its restoration, subsequent appearances and engagements at museums and concours d’elegance events, articles featuring the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet,

modern photography, and artwork commissioned of the automobile.

Back in 2006, Rick D’Louhy and I started a research project to uncover, discover, document, and locate examples of America’s early fiberglass sports cars. During this research we met people who designed, built, drove, and raced such cars. It was during this process that I connected with Phil Fleming who owned several of these kinds of cars over the years.

Phil relayed to me a story about Kurtis-Kraft sports cars owned by a friend’s family that he remembered as a teenager in mid ’50s Detroit (see “Phil Fleming Remembers…” shown earlier). At first this seemed unrelated to our focus, but as our research grew, the relevance of Phil’s memories become more apparent.

In order to document the history of the birth of fiberglass sports cars in America, we needed to learn more about the birth of sports cars in the immediate postwar era. Our question was: “What led up to the pivotal point in 1951 that brought us fiberglass bodied sports cars like the Glasspar G2, the Lancer, and later sports cars like the Victress S1A, the Meteor SR-1 and the Byers SR-100?”

Good question! My contact with Phil Fleming was fortuitous, and we began exploring the history of American ’40s sports cars—”Sport Customs” — as we found they were called, in February, 2007. But, as they say…

“a strange thing happened on the way to the market…”

When we reviewed our research, we learned we had already found the first car—we just didn’t know it. Back in 2006, Fred Roth forwarded me an e-mail from Alex Boeriu seeking more information about his undocumented Kurtis-Kraft Sports Car. Alex had been documenting his car since purchasing it in 1986, and was continuing to seek additional information.

Fred had forwarded the e-mail to me in December, 2006. I met Phil Fleming and started learning about the cars—missing from the records of history since the late ’50s—in February, 2007. Now I’m not the “fastest gun in the West,” so it took me a few weeks (from February 6th, 2007 to April 21st, 2007) to realize that we had found what we had NOT been looking for—until just now.

This circuitous path began our journey to documenting, writing about, and sharing what we learned about the history of American Sports Cars from the early ’40s through the late ’50s. A task we continue working on today.

40

Auction Announcement Showing Kurtis-Kraft for Sale.

Alex Boeriu With “Mae West” on November 7th, 2007—

The Day we saw the Comet for the First Time.

Alex Boeriu In Garage Helping Prepare the Car for Transport.

41

The following story is from Alex Boeriu, owner of the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet from 1986 to 2007

I love mechanical things – cars, motorcycles, boats, camera, and guns, but I am crazy about convertibles. So when I drove by the Leroy Jenkins ministry and I saw a Jaguar-like silhouette under a tarp, my heart fluttered.

Leroy Jenkins is a healer type of preacher that sold water from his well as holy water for $5 a gallon, so it took me a couple of days to talk myself into walking on that property. I finally had a chance to peek under the tarp, only to find a shape that I could not recognize. On the title of ownership, the car was listed as Curtis Craft (sic).

Since it was in the early ‘80s, Google was not around, and the misspelled name did not help in my research. My best friend, Roger Koch, a big motorhead and racer, told me to research Frank Kurtis a bit more. In the meantime, I purchased the car and brought it home—it was in terrible shape.

Leroy’s son started a feeble restoration by using a grinder to remove the paint which resulted in warping most of the flat surfaces; the floor was rusted out and the wooden seat frame was completely rotten.

I did manage to locate Frank Kurtis and we talked by phone a few times. The pictures I sent to him resulted in the letter from him that identifies the car as the one that he designed for Paul Omohundro. I located a phone number for an Omohundro family, but the lady answering spoke only Spanish, possibly a servant. End of that trail.

I had better luck locating Jerry Ingram, who was elated and immediately planned a trip from his home in Kentucky to see the car. He showed up a day earlier than announced with his whole family in tow (two or three kids) — eager to show them his beautiful car.

Well, when I rolled back the barn doors, what they saw was a rusty frame with flat tires and a nasty looking engine. The aluminum body was warped and hanging from the barn rafters. They left fairly quickly, promising to come back the next day, which did not happen.

The restoration was slow, but it made me meet some very interesting people. The old guy that restored the engine was a Mercury flathead expert who used to race hot rods in the ’40s.

Another old artist offered to straighten the body panels. He was in the process of restoring a ‘20s REO fire truck in which he was fabricating missing body parts. I spent many evenings in his garage with other old timers listening to great stories while he worked. He was amazing!

The stone guards on the Kurtis did a great job guarding stones. They were covered with thousands of dings. He made a special tool, and had the patience to beat every single ding into a perfectly smooth surface.

Trips to Hershey resulted in a set of wire wheels and the banjo steering wheel. A dude in New England restored the gauges, and my favorite sheet metal contractor put together new floor boards and firewall.

A local body shop did a great job on the body work; a Jeep donated the seat; and a local auto accessory shop finished the interior—in exchange for my ’66 Lincoln Continental 4 door convertible (of course).

The car was finally sitting pretty, when my architect brother-in-law, while visiting from Europe, took an admiring look and instantly baptized the Kurtis-Kraft Sports Car with her new name… “Mae West.”

“Only Mae West could compete with these curves”

I didn’t drive the car, but I had alot of fun showing it off and challenging smart ass know-it-alls to guess the make of the car. Some of them are still asking me what happened to the car. They want to know “where is it now?”

They look incredulous when I tell them that it won “Most Elegant Sports Car” at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in 2009. That would have never happened if Geoff would have not found me. “Mae West” would still be hidden in my garage, out of sight. She deserves to be seen and admired again!

Alex Boeriu (June 18th, 2012)

42

Various Pictures of the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet as Alex Boeriu Progressed Through Stages of his Restoration.

43

Alex Boeriu (Owner of Comet From 1986 Through 2007), Began Restoration Soon After he Acquired the car in 1986 and Completed his Restoration in 2000.

44

Map Showing Event Locations Where the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet has Appeared From 2008 Until the Present.

6

5

4

3

2

1

45

1. 2008: Feature car on display - Tampa Bay Automotive Museum, Pinellas Park, Florida

2. 2009: Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance – “Sports & GT Cars, Postwar to 1953” class. Won “The Bridgestone Award For The Most Elegant Sports Car”

3. 2009-2010: Feature car on display – Petersen Automotive Museum’s “California Car Design,” Los Angeles, California

4. 2010-2012: Feature car on display – Sarasota Classic Car Museum, Sarasota, Florida

5. 2012: Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance – “Sport Customs” Class

6. 2012-2013: Feature car on display for inaugural year of the new “LeMay – America’s Car Museum” in Tacoma, Washington


46

“The Bridgestone Award for the Most Elegant Sports Car” — Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, 2009.

47

Phil Fleming and Authors’ Friend Susan Gunn at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, 2009.

48

Created in Support of the Petersen Automotive Museum Exhibit (2009-2010) Which Focused on California Car Design,

Two Different Print Media—A Quarterly Magazine and an Exhibit Booklet — Featured the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet.

49

Billboard on the Petersen Museum Advertising the “California Car Design” Exhibit in 2009-2010.

Billboards Showcasing the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet Were Used Throughout Southern California During This Time.

50

Photos Taken at the Sarasota Classic Car Museum, June 2012.

51

Photos Taken at the Sarasota Classic Car Museum, June 2012.

52

Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2012 Acceptance Letter.

53

Press Release From Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Announcing Sport Custom Class of Cars. Dated July 17th, 2012.

Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Introduces Its First Sport Customs Class

Release Date: July 17th, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Photos: http://pebblebeachconcours.net/pages/3017/index.htm

Contact: Michaela Bates (831) 622-1700

([email protected])

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (July 17, 2012) -- One-off Sport Customs designed to turn heads while tooling

down Main Street USA will roll onto the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links for the 2012

Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on August 19. This year, for the very first time, the Pebble

Beach Concours d'Elegance is hosting an entire class dedicated to Sport Customs.

"These are one-of-a-kind cars built in the US, on modified American production chassis with

American engines by individuals, designers and craftsmen," explains automotive historian Ken

Gross, a member of the committee that vets and selects the Concours entries. "Although the word

sport connotes adroit handling, for the most part these cars were stylish boulevard cruisers,

designed to be seen and admired, not to win races."

"The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance continues to expand alongside the growing interests of

enthusiasts," says Concours Chairman Sandra Button. "It is important for us to stay in tune with the

interests of the people who create, love, and care for these special cars, and it is always interesting

to host something new and different."

Each car competing in the new Sport Customs class comes with a personal story and history like no

other. Take, for example, the story of Seward Allen's 1940 Coachcraft Roadster.

Seward Allen was just a high school student when he dreamed up this car. He developed the idea

while in auto shop class, where the chassis and running gear were constructed with the help of his

classmates. Unbeknownst to his parents, Allen later commissioned Coachcraft, Ltd., to complete his

vision. The result was a sleek and modern design paired with shiny navy blue paint and an orange

pigskin interior. With low doors, no top and no side windows, this car is the definition of a

California Roadster.

"It's a very beautifully designed car," says Martin Cousineau, who, with his wife Michelle, is its

current owner. "There isn't a sharp corner on it. It has integrated curves and compound curves,

which are all the more remarkable because this is an all power-hammered and hand-hammered

steel construction."

To complement its innovative look, the Roadster included features far ahead of its time. The body

was welded to the chassis to form a strong and rigid unibody. With a Ford flathead V8 engine

installed in its light sports roadster body, it was a forerunner of designs like the famous Shelby

Cobra that appeared many years later. Celebrated in its own right, this Roadster soon appeared on

the cover of Trend Book 101, Custom Cars.

1940 Coachcraft Special.

The Templeton Saturn Special.

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001pF586xKXt9vKX1OZBbzJ8igMYd2OR0Rp3S0Cu4fKIXwsV5gKSURvsAO0fbuAHz1pvGAduGCp5wz6h0P83g7XoQ-14Gs9Hl-rXVsoXlNyC6TVUpibvXy4YWdXr6mwT-uxK0ZLcwwfAOn7seyKgcjvY2YXTkSYjcWJOVCTdXv-Bvcb4nmQScxyd8LWIayQGTpTk2o8uBmW6zvB2pNwbL3fCD9xibBkfm4mA8pb

mailto:[email protected]

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001pF586xKXt9vKX1OZBbzJ8igMYd2OR0Rp3S0Cu4fKIXwsV5gKSURvsAO0fbuAHz1pvGAduGCp5wz6h0P83g7XoQ-14Gs9Hl-rXVsoXlNyC6TVUpibvXy4YWdXr6mwT-uxK0ZLcwwfAOn7seyKgcjvY2YXTkSYjcWJOVCTdXv-Bvcb4nmQScxyd8LWIayQGTpTk2o8uBmW6zvB2pNwbL3fCD9xibBkfm4mA8pb

mailto:[email protected]

54

In November 1950 -- the very same month that the inaugural Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

took place -- this sport custom strutted its stuff at the first Petersen Motorama in Los Angeles. Now

things come full circle as Seward Allen's 1940 Coachcraft Roadster competes with eight other Sport

Customs at the forthcoming Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The class also includes the very first

Coachcraft creations, the Vince Gardner Special, the Paul Omohundro Special, the Norman Timbs

Special, another Emil Diedt Roadster made for Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, the Templeton Saturn

Special, the Maverick Sportster and the Bentas "Raven" Convertible.

In addition to Sport Customs, the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance will feature Cars of the

Maharajas, Mercer, Fiat, Saoutchik Coachwork, AC and AC (Shelby) Cobra and German Motorcycles.

Information and tickets are available at www.pebblebeachconcours.net.

First conducted in 1950, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance® (www.pebblebeachconcours.net) has

grown to be the world's premier celebration of the automobile. Only the most beautiful and rare

cars are invited to appear on the famed 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links®, and

connoisseurs of art and style flock to see these masterpieces.

Charitable donations raised by Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance® now total over $15 million.

Related events include Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance™ presented by Rolex, Pebble Beach

RetroAuto™, and Pebble Beach® Auctions presented by Gooding & Company. Pebble Beach®,

Pebble Beach Golf Links®, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance™,

and Pebble Beach RetroAuto™ are trademarks, service marks and trade dress of Pebble Beach

Company. All rights reserved.

Pebble Beach Company, headquartered in Pebble Beach, Calif., owns and operates the world-

famous Pebble Beach Resorts®, including The Lodge at Pebble Beach™, The Inn at Spanish Bay™

and Casa Palmero®. The company also operates four renowned golf courses: Pebble Beach Golf

Links®, Spyglass Hill® Golf Course, The Links at Spanish Bay™ and Del Monte™ Golf Course.

Its other famed properties include scenic 17-Mile Drive® and The Spa at Pebble Beach™, and it

annually hosts premier events such as the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, AT&T Pebble Beach

National Pro-Am, Callaway Pebble Beach Invitational, Pebble Beach Food & Wine, and Nature

Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. Site of the 2019 U.S. Open Championship, Pebble Beach Golf

Links® has hosted five U.S. Opens, four U.S. Amateurs, one PGA Championship and numerous other

tournaments. For reservations or more information please call (800) 654-9300 or

visit www.pebblebeach.com.

Press Release From Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Announcing Sport Custom Class of Cars. Dated July 17th, 2012.

The Bentas “Raven” Convertible.

The Norman Timbs Special.

http://www.pebblebeachconcours.net/

http://www.pebblebeach.com/


http://www.pebblebeach.com/

55

The Rodder’s Journal Announcement Concerning the Class of Sport Custom Cars Forthcoming at Pebble Beach, 2012. June 9th, 2012: Distributed via E-mail.

Sport Customs: Another Scrapbook Question Answered

By Ken Gross / Posted June 6, 2012

As is often the case in this hot rod/custom/old car hobby we all enjoy, when one question gets

answered another pops up. Which is exactly what happened with one of our “Scrapbook Update”

e-mails (and yes, the Scrapbook is done, printed and on its way to us now!)

In an outtake photo (shown above) from the Scrapbook we made mention that the details

surrounding the Bubbletop Custom were uncertain. Was it the first-ever Bubbletop Custom?

Well, leave it to our pal and frequent contributor Ken Gross to come up with the answer.

“That Bubbletop you pictured in a recent 'Scrapbook Update' was built by Vince Gardner in the

early '50s,” Ken informed us. “It was based on a 1947 Studebaker. Fran Roxas, who normally

restores Duesenbergs and one-off classics like the 1954 Dodge Firearrow III Coupe Concept Car,

restored this one, too. Fran brought it back to life with spectacular results.”

Okay, question answered. But then Ken went on to tell us that the Bubbletop Custom will be

featured in the new Sport Custom class this year at Pebble Beach! It's one of eight or nine cars

that will be spotlighted.

The Pebble Beach Hot Rod Class started in 1997, and has featured roadsters, coupes and pre-

war customs. This year, doing something totally different, it will be the Sport Customs, one-offs

like that Vince Gardner Bubbletop Studebaker. Sport Customs, as they would come to be

called, were an everyman's answer to the high-priced European sports cars.

Dan Post’s, The Blue Book Of Custom Restyling, published in the late-1940s, featured many of

them. And while there certainly have been some less than successful attempts at building a

Sport Custom, when this genre was put into the hands and minds of talented craftsman with

an eye for style the result was quite simply gorgeous. It should be quite a show out on the lawn

at Pebble Beach this August.

But not leaving it there, with information on just that one car, Ken, who never does anything

half way, sent along some photos of a few of the other Sport Customs scheduled for Pebble

Beach 2012. Of course we’ll share them here and you’ll see what we mean when we said, done

correctly, these cars are pretty spectacular.

The Vince Gardner Studebaker Special. Rear View of ‘Glass Top Fitted To The Vince Gardner Studebaker Special.

56

The Norman Timbs Fantasy Custom:

We’ve already featured this one in TRJ #48. Long, low and narrow, it was built in 1948 by Norman

Timbs who would go on to become chief engineer at Halibrand Engineering. The Timbs Fantasy

Custom was just that, its two-piece aluminum body, by Emil Diedt, lifts off to reveal a straight-eight

Buick engine, rear-mounted.

The Rochester Sports Car:

Steve Moal recently restored this car, originally built in 1950 by Emil Diedt for Eddie Anderson, better

known as “Rochester van Jones” in the popular and long-running Jack Benny TV and radio shows.

And while Jack might have had his Maxwell, off the set this sporty and Indy-inspired roadster with its

OHV Cadillac power was “Rochester's” ride.

The Templeton-Saturn Mercury Special:

Lloyd Templeton built this one back in the '50s, beginning with a 1948 Mercury sedan and using

body panels and fenders from a '49 Chevy, a '36 Ford and a 1936 Chrysler, to name a few of the

donor cars. A multi-time show winner in its day, Bob Hope regularly drove it around Southern

California, supposedly scheduling its appearance in a movie.

The Kurtis-Omohundro Comet:

This one was designed by none other than Frank Kurtis, he of racecar fame, and built by Paul

Omohundro in 1946. The car features a Kurtis chassis with a Ford V8 engine and driveline.

Kurtis even approached Ford Motor Company about the possibility of supplying engines to

produce a limited run of these specials. Ford declined so only two cars were built. Our good

friend, Geoff Hacker of Florida now owns this one.


57


The Maverick:

Here’s another Sport Custom that was planned for limited production, a dream that never

materialized. Only four or five of these Maverick Specials were ever built.

The Coachcraft Specia:

Also known as the “Yankee Doodle Car,” this Sport Custom was built by Coachcraft for Seward

Allan, a young and well-heeled teenage enthusiast who kept the project secret from his parents.

Powered with a Mercury V8, it’s based on a 1940 Mercury chassis with bodywork by German-born

Rudy Stoessel.

The Raven:

Built in the early '50s by Arthur Bentas of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, this Sport Custom started

with a 1939 Dodge chassis coupled with a handmade cowl. Modified fenders, the hood and doors

from a 1954 Kaiser were added, a LaSalle tire cover went on and the list continues. In 1959 The

Raven won “Best Custom” award at the NHRA National Championship Custom Car Show in Detroit.

Summary:

The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August should be a pretty good show, don’t you think? We

sure don’t want to miss it. Thanks again to Ken Gross for bringing all these great Sport Customs to

our attention. Can’t wait to see them in person!

Cheers,

Your friends at

The Rodder's Journal

58

Hemmings Motor News Announcement Concerning the Class of Sport Custom Cars Forthcoming at Pebble Beach, 2012. Posted On Their Website July 16th, 2012.

One-Off Sport Customs to Gather for Featured Class at Pebble Beach

By Geoff Hacker / Posted July 16th, 2012

Not quite a sports car, not quite a custom car, the one-off cars we’ve come to call sport customs

blended a little bit of both and have always been considered in a class of their own. At this year’s

Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, a group of significant sport customs will take the field in a literal

class of their own.

Most stories about custom cars start in the 1950s and stories about American sports cars start with

the introduction of the 1948 Jaguar XK120 and the MG in the post-war era and the influence they

had. Those are great mile markers, but what we’re finding out is the best stories about American

sports and custom cars are the ones that led up to these events – the history and heritage of

America’s sport custom cars.

Back in the 1940s and 1950s, custom cars were truly one-of-a-kind cars that were all, or nearly all,

built by coachbuilders of the day. These included cars built by Frank Kurtis, Bohman and Son

(of Bohman and Schwartz fame), Derham, Diedt & Lesovsky, and others. One-off uniquely designed

custom cars were also built by individuals such as Jay Everett (Astra).

What we would now call customs – which involved taking a stock car or stock component parts and

modifying them extensively to get a new look and/or design – were then referred to as “restyled

cars.” Some of these were modified so extensively that it might have been easier to build the same

car from scratch! Examples of restyled cars included ones built by Gerry Huth (Custom Cadillac),

Robert Monroe & Alexis Dowydoff (Rogue), and Lloyd Templeton (Saturn). Of course the

coachbuilding shops restyled many cars too, so some of their work belongs in this category, as well.

After the 1940s, sports car design separated from custom car design and each became a distinct

classification of car. Sport customs continued being built through the 1950s, and most of these

were designed as large, “sporty,” cars – an “American boulevard cruiser” type of design. That’s

what makes this class of cars so interesting – and their history compelling. Like my favorite

Forgotten Fiberglass cars of the 1950s, Sport Custom Cars are always handcrafted, taking hundreds

– if not thousands – of hours to complete.

Most of the cars that we’ll see in this class at Pebble Beach took more than 2,000 hours to build

back in the day. That’s 50 weeks of 40 hours a week work – and two weeks off for good behavior –

one full working year. In modern terms, at 50 bucks an hour, you’ll arrive at $100,000 in labor

before accounting for the first bolt. The Sport Custom cars that will be on display at Pebble Beach

took quite a bit more than 2,000 hours for their builders to complete, and represent some of the

best of what was fabricated at the time.

Over the last several years, Rick D’Louhy (my co-author and partner in these car research

adventures) and I have been tracking the early history of the cars we call Forgotten Fiberglass, and

our research on sport customs grew out of that focus. The history of modern fiberglass cars

started with the Glasspar G2, Irwin Lancer, Skorpion, and the Wasp. Each of these debuted at the

November 1951 Petersen Motorama at the Pan Pacific Auditorium. As Rick and I began to learn

more about this pivotal time in 1951 and 1952, we began focusing on what led up to the creation

of these cars, and that’s when things got fuzzy.

1940 Coachcraft Special

1948 Norman Timbs Special

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2007/08/19/sia-flashback-the-lighter-side-of-bohman-schwartz/

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2010/08/25/hemmings-find-of-the-day-1952-astra-coupe/

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2012/01/23/forgotten-fiberglass-the-big-bang-of-fiberglass-petersen-motorama-november-1951/

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2007/08/19/sia-flashback-the-lighter-side-of-bohman-schwartz/

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2010/08/25/hemmings-find-of-the-day-1952-astra-coupe/

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2012/01/23/forgotten-fiberglass-the-big-bang-of-fiberglass-petersen-motorama-november-1951/

59

Hemmings Motor News Announcement Concerning the Class of Sport Custom Cars Forthcoming at Pebble Beach, 2012. Posted On Their Website July 16th, 2012.

We had trouble finding one source that told the story of American sports car development in the

1940s. Sure, there were individual stories about independent car companies and individual

efforts, but nothing that strung together the story from the 1940s forward. As we researched the

sport customs and the men who built them, we found that, not surprisingly, the story of individual

effort and achievement turned out to be much like the same stories of design and

entrepreneurship that percolated through our Forgotten Fiberglass stories. These were exciting

stories to write, interesting cars to review, and fascinating people to meet.

One of my favorite interviews was with Gerry Huth, who started Hollywood Plastics with Bill

Campbell (fiberglass cars and boats), but is best known for his company, Huth Mufflers, and the

bending equipment he designed and built in the 1950s. Gerry built one of my favorite cars from the

1940s, the 1948 Huth Custom Cadillac, pictured above.

I interviewed Gerry about this sport custom, and was curious about why he built it. “I built it to

attract attention to our muffler business, which was much more like a speed shop than what you

think of a muffler shop today,” he said. “People were fascinated by the new designs of cars right

after World War II and crowds would gather at our shop to watch the progress. It was a lot of work,

but worth the effort – just once, though. It took me over a year to build that car! I built cars before

the Custom Cadillac, but that one was my last.”

I asked Gerry what shows he took his Custom Cadillac to. He burst out laughing and said, “Geoff,

there weren’t any shows back then to take cars to. That didn’t start until later.” Indeed, the first car

show of significance was the Hot Rod Exposition in 1948. The Huth Cadillac, by the way, has been

missing since 1950, so if anybody knows where it is, we’d like to hear from you.

Fortunately, we are lucky that two people were documenting what was happening when it was

happening: Dan Post and Ed Almquist. Post started publishing manuals on how to customize your

car in 1944 and Almquist soon after, in 1946. Photographs, techniques, illustrations – all of these

were being documented at a time before the first post-war automobile enthusiast magazine

appeared (Speed Age in May, 1947). Both Dan Post and Ed Almquist sold their booklets through

magazines that were available prior to then, such as Popular Mechanics and Mechanix Illustrated.

By the time Speed Age started publication, Post had been selling books on custom cars for nearly

three years; Almquist about a year.

We believe the sport customs out there have long been denied their place in post-war automotive

history, so we’re more than excited to see sport customs getting their day on the lawn at the

Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Special thanks goes to our good friends Rik Hoving and Tony

Miller; both worked with us to help provide the best information possible about the history and

heritage of sport custom cars in America.

And, of course, great thanks goes to Ken Gross for making the Sport Custom class a reality for

Pebble Beach this year. While we’ve been honored to help with information and support, it has

taken Ken’s insight into these cars and their importance – as well as all the right persuasion and

effort – to develop the first recognition ever of Sport Custom cars at a major concours event.

This year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance takes place August 19. For more information,

visit PebbleBeachConcours.net. For more information on sport custom cars, visit SportCustom.com

Geoff Hacker is a Tampa, Florida-based automotive historian who specializes in tracking down

bizarre, off-beat, and undocumented automobiles. His favorites are Fifties American fiberglass-

bodied cars, and he shares his research into those cars at ForgottenFiberglass.com; more recently

he started SportCustom.com, BellyTanks.com, and Undiscovered-Classics.com.

1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet Sports Custom

Gerry Huth’s 1948 Custom Cadillac


http://www.forgottenfiberglass.com/

http://www.sportcustom.com/


http://www.forgottenfiberglass.com/

http://www.sportcustom.com/

60

The Grand Opening of the New Facility For LeMay—America’s Car Museum— in Tacoma, Washington, Occurred on June 2nd, 2012.

The 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet is Arriving in August, 2012, for a Year Long Engagement.

This Will Immediately Follow Its Invited Appearance at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

61

2002: Book—Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975, Revised Fourth Edition, John Gunnell

2008, August: Magazine - Classic & Sports Car (UK)

2009: Book – Hot Rods and Custom Cars: Ken Gross, Bob Ames, Strother MacMinn

2009, January: Magazine – Classic Motorsports

2009, July: Magazine – Antique West

2009, November 16: Magazine – Autoweek

2009, Summer: Magazine - Petersen Quarterly (Petersen Automotive Museum); Featured on Cover

2010, January: Magazine – Epoca Auto (Italy)

2010, March: Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Program – Acknowledgement of Winning 2009 “Most Elegant Sports Car” Award

2010, March: Magazine: Jacksonville Luxury Living – Full page spread

The 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet Has Appeared in Many Books And Magazines From 2002 to Present.

62

Phil Fleming in the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, 2009.

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Classic & Sports Car (UK) Magazine: August, 2008.

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2009: Book – Hot Rods and Custom Cars: Written By Ken Gross and Bob Ames Using Strother MacMinn Photography From the ’40s.

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In This 2009 Book, Two Full Pages Were Dedicated to a Story and Photo of the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet, and the Collaboration Between

Frank Kurtis and Paul Omohundro. Shown Above is the Story That Appeared in the Book.

Shown Inside The Book Was One Of Four

Photos Taken of the

1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet

By Strother MacMinn in 1947

66

Antique West Magazine: July 2009.

67

Epoca Auto (Italy) Magazine: January, 2010.

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Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Program, March 2010. Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Winner:

“The Bridgestone Tire Award for the Most Elegant Sports Car.”

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Jacksonville Luxury Living Magazine – Full page spread: March, 2010.

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76

Geoff Hacker with the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet, January, 2011: Sarasota Classic Car Museum.

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78

1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet. Artwork: Dan Palatnik, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2012.

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1948 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet. Artwork: Dan Palatnik, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2012.

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Light-Hearted, Whimsical Caricature of the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet.

Artwork: Jimmy Smith, Phoenix, Arizona 2012.

81

Light-Hearted, Whimsical Caricature of the 1948 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet.

Artwork: Jimmy Smith, Phoenix, Arizona 2012.

82

Traditional Designer’s Canson Sketch.

Original Artwork Commissioned by the Petersen Automotive Museum For Exhibit: 2009-2010.

1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet Art by John Caswell, Pasadena, California, Art Center Alumnus; 2005. Stewart Reed Design.

83

Part IV of the book focuses on the “lost years” of American sports cars—the wartime years. Coachbuilt sports cars were built before and after the war, but in limited

numbers. Many of these cars were featured in an end of decade article in Popular Mechanics (December, 1949) that introduced the American public to, as they titled

the article, “The New Breed of Sports Cars.” The author of the article felt that these cars would define all sports cars from 1949 forward. Four pages of this article

appear at the end of this section in the book.

In total, the sports cars produced in the ’40s may be considered designs lost to time or:

By the late ’30s, America was getting back on track after years in the Depression. Innovations in design and technology were bursting forth culminating in the pinnacle

of Art Deco styling at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. General Motors was part of this movement and introduced to the American public in 1938 their first concept

car—the Buick Y-Job. And what a strikingly beautiful car this was—modern in design, styling, and technology. But America was on the doorstep of an event that

would change our country forever — World War II — with the United States drawn into the war in December, 1941.

Sports cars built in the first part of this timeframe share many common characteristics including:

Two-passenger design

Pontoon-style fenders

Absence of running boards

Vestiges of the ’30s boattail speedster styling

Roadster top (fold down, disappearing, or “California-Style”)

Both of the Kurtis-Omohundro Comets represent an ideal version of what prewar sports car designs might have been had they continued through the wartime years

unabated. Instead of a natural progression of design, the introduction of the 1947 Cisitalia 202 Coupe had a profound effect on world-wide automobile styling. The

streamlined look with integrated hood, fenders, and body panels leapt forward into the design ephemera.

Additionally, other sports cars started to appear in the late ’40s based on the styling of the 1948 Jaguar XK 120 and the earlier 1939 BMW 328 Mille Miglia Buegelfalte

Roadster. What’s lost to time is what American sports cars might have looked like had they continued their development from 1940 forward. That “visual” possibility

is presented in this section of the book.

84

This Sports Car was Built for Bill Hughes of Denver, Colorado by Frank Kurtis. The Bottom Photo Shows

The Sports Car in Front of the Shop of Jimmy Summers— A Famous Southern California Customizer - circa mid ’40s.

85

In 1939, Bill Hughes of Denver, Colorado commissioned Frank Kurtis to build a sports

car around an Indianapolis proven Miller-Ford V-8 engine. Working in his South San

Pedro Boulevard shop, Kurtis took a 1934 Ford frame and shortened it, adding 1939

Ford hydraulic brakes. He built a framework of steel angle iron material, over which he

formed a hand-made body, and attached modified 1939 Chevrolet fenders.

The top folded into a recess behind the seat. The car had no trunk, and the spare tire

slid into a storage area accessible from inside the car. The car was finished in 1940.

The following story about this Kurtis Sports Car appeared in the May, 1952 issue of

Auto Sport Review:

In 1939, Kurtis designed and built a sports car for wealthy cattleman Bill Hughes of

Denver. It was a design 10 years ahead of any sports car of that day, and Kurtis built

it for a paltry $900.00. Hughes later sold it for $3200 to a Hollywood director. Then a

couple of years ago–when the car was pushing 10 and due for retirement–a wealthy

cameraman barged into the director’s office.

“I’ve got to have that Kurtis car,” he said harriedly. “My wife’s in love with it, and I’m

in love with my wife.” But the director said he wouldn’t sell–not for any amount. Not

even when the car was involved in a romantic triangle. “I’ll give you $5000 for it,” the

cameraman persisted. Still no sale. The price went up to $6000–$7000–then $8000.

Still the director shook his head. Finally, the cameraman scrawled out a check for

$8000, threw it on the director’s desk, and stomped out of the office, declaring,

“I want that pink ownership slip by tomorrow.” The director finally relented, and

sold the car!

Now comes the sequel. A few weeks ago, the Hollywoodian and his automotively

addicted wife were packing up for Tangiers–where they expect to live. As the gal

climbed from behind the car’s wheel for the last time, she wept. “I can’t leave ‘Drool’

behind,” she sobbed. She’d named the car “Drool” because “that’s what I do over

it.” So now the car which Kurtis built 12 years ago for $900 is on its way to Tangiers –

via Marseilles. The freight bill alone was $1100–two hundred bucks more than it cost

Kurtis to build.”

Even Though This Cover Photo and Article Appeared in the

March, 1949 Issue of Mechanix Illustrated, the Sports Car was

Actually Designed and Built in 1940. The Car Survives and has

Been Fully Restored. It is now in a Private Collection in Europe.

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1940 Coachcraft Special—Modified by Frank Kurtis in the ’40s Using a Kurtis-Kraft Style Grille.

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Seward Allen built the chassis as a high school auto shop project at Palisades High

School. Essex frame rails, with a narrowed 1940 Ford front frame section lapped and

welded, are the backbone. The drive train is comprised of a 59A Ford flathead engine,

a 1940 Ford side shift transmission, and a Columbia two-speed rear end.

With a completed chassis, Allen commissioned Rudy Stoessel to build the body. Rudy

had worked in Howard “Dutch” Darrin’s Custom Coachwork shop on Sunset Boulevard

in Hollywood until it closed in the late ’30s. At that time, Rudy and two partners

opened their own shop known as “Coachcraft of Hollywood,” and began working on

cars. In building the “Coachcraft Special,” Rudy used 1940 Mercury fenders and

completed the body, windshield, dashboard, and interior for $1500.

While in the Navy, Seward Allen took the car with him, giving the well-traveled car the

“Yankee Doodle Roadster” nickname. In 1948, after his stint in the Navy, Allen put the

car in Coachcraft’s sales showroom and sold it to a machinist in the area.

The proud new owner commissioned Frank Kurtis to update the car, employing a

signature Kurtis grille, a new dashboard, and updated shapes in the cowl and

hood. Entered in the 1952 Motorama, at the Pan Pacific Auditorium, the car was

a prize winner.

The 1940 Coachcraft Special Appeared on the Cover and

Inside the 1951 Trend Book on Custom Cars—

Petersen Publishing’s First Such Booklet.

88

1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet: Strother MacMinn Photography.

89

The 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet first appeared in the California Custom Car Photo

Album published in 1947 by Dan Post of Arcadia, California. It continued to appear in

Dan Post Books about coachbuilt, custom, and re-styled cars from 1947 through 1955,

and was featured with other coachbuilt, custom, and re-styled cars.

The 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet Appeared in all Four Books on

Custom and Sports Cars Printed by Dan Post Publishing

From 1947 To 1955.

California Custom Car Photo Album, 1947.

The Comet is Shown Without Headlights. Later Photos Taken in 1947

by Strother MacMinn on Facing Page Show Final Headlights in Place.

90

The Second Car That Paul Omohundro Built was the 1948 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet.

This Car Survives Today (2012) In Unrestored Condition.

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The second car Paul Omohundro built was the 1948 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet. It

debuted in the February, 1949 issue of Road & Track Magazine—the fifth issue ever

published. The car was shown on a full-page spread and was one of the first coachbuilt

sports cars published by Road & Track to an enthusiastic worldwide public.

The 1948 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet also appeared in or was featured in the following

newspapers and magazines:

October 15th, 1948, Herald Enterprise Newspaper (debut article—local town)

December, 1949, Popular Mechanics (shown on full page)

May 13th, 1949, Autocar Magazine (UK) (1/2 page spread)

October, 1950, Motor Trend (2 page spread)

September, 1951, Motor Trend (car for sale in California by Paul Omohundro)

1951 Trend Book 101: Custom Cars (two-page spread in their first such booklet)

August, 1952, Motor Trend (car for sale in Detroit by Jim Neidy)

Publications Shown Above Appear in the Custom Cars Book (Trend

Book 101, 1951) and Road & Track February, 1949.

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The 1948 Norman Timbs Special Shown Here During its Debut at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in March, 2010.

93

Norman Timbs at the Wheel—Circa 1949.

Mechanical engineer Norman E. Timbs created this dramatic streamliner in the ’40s

which in many ways was the ultimate American hot rod. The resulting chic roadster was

good enough for the cover of Motor Trend as well as features in Mechanix Illustrated,

Popular Mechanics and Motor Life.

Leading up to this design, Mr. Timbs had worked designing race cars such as the Blue

Crown Specials which won the Indianapolis 500 several times. Mr. Timbs was no doubt

influenced by the 1937 Auto Union Type C Stromlinie and 1937 Mercedes-Benz W25

Avus Stromlinie. The Timbs Special’s sensational shape was a very close approximation

of these cars which ran the fastest GP race of all time nearing speeds of 248.40 mph.

The body was a nod to the German GP cars which at the time mimicked aeronautical

practice. Norm's design was free of the over indulgences such as huge chrome bumpers

and large tail fins that eventually dominated American design. The streamliner's chic

elegance was a rarity in America, even if was outdated by post-war standards.

Today, the car's smooth shape is still as pleasing to the eye as it was in 1948. The body is

long and low with a complete underbelly panel. With the engine positioned ahead of

the rear axle, the cockpit is pushed forward much like the Auto Union Type D. In keeping

with the airfoil shape, no doors are cut out of the body. A large one-piece rear panel

opens hydraulically to reveal the entire rear end of the chassis.

The car was based around a 1947 Buick straight 8 engine which powered the 2200 lb. car

to 120 mph. The main chassis was built up from five-inch steel tubes which kicked up

over the rear axle. To offer a smooth ride, a modified 1947 Ford suspension was utilized.

Road & Track reported that it took Norm Timbs 2 1/2 years to create the car at a cost of

$10,000. The body was crafted entirely in aluminum by Emil Diedt for $8,000. The shape

was formed by hand over a traditional wooden buck.

The Timbs Special can be considered more of a “concept” car than a sports car in terms

of its impact on sports car design in postwar America. It’s presented here because it

represents the enthusiasm and vision of what was possible in the heady and exciting

times when postwar sports cars were being defined in both styling and performance.

The Timbs Special Appeared on the Cover of Motor Trend’s Second

Issue in October, 1949. It Later Appeared in Road & Track

Magazine in December, 1949.

94

1948 Kurtis-Buick Sports Car.

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This car is known as the "Kurtis-Buick Special", and was the forerunner of the Kurtis

Sports Car. Frank bought a 1941 Buick that had been wrecked and totaled with less than

500 miles on the odometer. After acquiring the car, he stored it away until 1946, the

year he began the build.

Frank designed and built this car for himself and it became his personal driver. He

discarded the Buick body and kept chassis and drivetrain. A four passenger convertible

body was hand-formed out of aluminum panels over a steel tubing framework.

The cowl and windshield frame were custom cast in aluminum. The grille was built from

tubing, and the car was fitted with a removable padded Carson top. The sports car was

completed in 1948, and it looked quite futuristic compared to the rest of the prewar

designed cars of Detroit.

Frank drove the car regularly, including a trip to Indianapolis to view the Indy ‘500’

in 1948. In 1949, he advertised it for sale in Motor Trend. The sports car was snapped up

by Earl Muntz who went on to purchase the Kurtis Sport Car assembly line, and started

building and selling the Muntz Jet to the public in 1951.

This Ad Appeared on the Back Cover of the 1949

“West Coast Annual Racing Album” With the Advertising Slogan:

“World’s Largest Manufacturer of Racing Cars.”

The Kurtis-Buick Appeared in Many Magazines in the Late ‘40s

Including a Cover Story Shown In the October, 1948

Issue of Mechanix Illustrated. Also Shown is an Article From the

February, 1948 Issue of Motor (USA).

96

1949 Kurtis Sport Car.

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The 1949 Kurtis Sport Car debuted in September, 1949 in Motor Trend—this was Motor

Trend’s first issue—volume 1, number 1. What a way to debut a new sports car to the

public! The car was based on the design of the 1948 Kurtis-Buick Sports Car and was

built on a unitized frame.

Cars were offered in either kit form or as completed sports cars Just one known “kit”

was sold, though. All others were completed sports cars. Fewer than 20 complete cars

were sold from 1949-1950.

Frank Kurtis referred to this car in articles, advertising, and brochures almost exclusively

as the “Kurtis Sport Car” - not “Sports Car.” However, there are a few exceptions as

shown in the ad below which refers to it as the “Kurtis Sports Car.”

In 1950, production rights were sold to Earl “Madman” Muntz. The car was stretched to

accommodate additional passengers and production continued in 1951 with a name

change to the “Muntz Jet.” These sports cars continued to be sold through 1954.

The Kurtis Sport Car was Featured in Many Magazines Such as the

Ones Above Which Include the September, 1949 Issue of

Motor Trend (Cover) the December, 1949 Issue of Road & Track,

and the April, 1950 Issue of Motor Trend.

Shown Above is a Full-Page Ad That Appeared on the Back Cover of

the October, 1949 Issue of Motor Trend.

98

1949 Edwards R-26 Sports Car / Race Car — the Car Survives Today (2012) in Unrestored Condition on a Later Chassis.

99

The Edwards R-26 Sports Car Appeared on the Cover of the

December, 1949 Issue of Road & Track.

Sterling Edwards collaborated on the design of this car with Norm Timbs, and they based

their design on the Cisitalia 202 coupe that had debuted in Europe in 1947.

The coachbuilders of Diedt & Lesovsky built this car out of aluminum as they also did

with the Norm Timbs Streamliner. This car won many of the earliest races in Southern

California at the beginning of the golden postwar era of racing.

Specifically, Sterling Edwards won the first three races he entered which were at Palm

Springs, Buchanan Field, and Pebble Beach – pretty impressive. And the car won “Best

of Show” at the first ever Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance too – an event that he help

create in California.

As with many of the sports cars at the time, the R-26 was built as a dual-purpose sports

car / race car—it even had a radio and cigarette lighter in the dashboard. In addition, to

accommodate this nature, the car was designed with a back seat which was covered

with an aluminum body panel when being prepared to race.

The car exists today in unrestored condition, lacking its original drivetrain and chassis.

This Ad Showcased the Coachbuilders who Built the Edwards Sports Car,

and also Appeared in the Same Issue of Road & Track Shown Above.

Shown Here is the Edwards R-26 in Racing Form.

100

This Article Appeared in the December, 1949 Issue of Popular Mechanics. Three Pages of the Eight Page Article—and the Cover— are Shown Here .

101

Showcased Were Several of the ’40s Coachbuilt Sports Cars Built from 1948 Forward. The Article Both Summarized What had Been Happening in Postwar America

and Heralded What was Coming – an American Passion for Sports Cars That Would Explode on the Scene From This Point Forward.

The Second Car From the Top on Right-Side Page Above is Paul Omohundro’s Second Car

—the 1948 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet— With Paul Omohundro at Wheel.

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The Kurtis-Kraft name has been associated with the “make” of both Comet sports cars since their inception in 1947 and 1948:

Both Comets were referred to as Kurtis-Kraft Sports Cars in Detroit by owners and friends (Kent Walter interview, 2009; Phil Fleming interview, 2009). This

was such a strong link that the “Comet” name was no longer associated with either car from the late ’40s forward, leaving both sports cars to be known by

their owners as “Kurtis-Kraft” Sports Cars.

Both cars were advertised as “Kurtis-Kraft Sports Cars” when sold by Sam Cornell in 1959-1960 (Phil Fleming, interview 2009).

The 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet was shown in a 1965 newspaper as a “Kurtis-Kraft Sports Car (Kurtis-Kraft was misspelled as “Curtis-Craft”) in Menifee

County News (Carlisle, Kentucky) —with photo of the sports car too.

The 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet appeared in a 1977 auction ad in the Old Cars Weekly Newspaper with photo and confirmation of the name “Kurtis-Kraft”.

Both cars titled as “Kurtis-Kraft” sports cars today.

Points of Interest: After the Comet Company stopped producing cars and race car bodies (midget bodies for Kurtis-Kraft and Comet sports cars),

Paul Omohundro made the second “Comet” his personal car. He often referred to this car as the “Omohundro Sports Car” or “The Blue Goose.” Artwork of

this car by Dan Palatnik is shown above. The car exists today (2012) in unrestored condition.

Shown Above is the Second Car Built By Paul Omohundro—the 1948 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet. Artwork: Dan Palatnik, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2009.

104

Exploded Diagram Showing Kurtis-Kraft Sport Car Body Component Parts. Letter From Kurtis-Kraft Discussing Initial Planned Use

of Fiberglass for Complete Body.

105

It’s interesting to review the history of fiberglass and its relationship to Kurtis

Sport Cars. To do this most effectively, we must look “backward” in time.

We know that by the mid ’50s, the “Paul Omohundro Company” was one of

the largest industrial plastics firms in Southern California—so the expertise

and interest in fiberglass and plastic must have been there from the start for

Omohundro in the immediate postwar era.

According to Trend Book 101 on Custom Cars (1951), the first Comet was

planned with fiberglass panels. The magazine stated that this did not come

to fruition due to material shortages at the time—prevalent in the postwar

era. Instead, the Comet sports car was coachbuilt from aluminum. Had the

Comet been made of fiberglass, this would have made it one of the first—if

not the first—fiberglass bodied sports car in postwar America.

The second attempt at producing a body from fiberglass is shown in the letter

on the adjacent page from Kurtis-Kraft dated August 3, 1949. Here it was

noted that “the body has been changed from plastic to steel as the cost of

the plastic was prohibitive.” So the second attempt at a fiberglass bodied

sports car involving Frank Kurtis and most likely— Paul Omohundro—was

scrapped.

But as they say ”where there’s a will, there’s always a way.”

When production of the Kurtis Sport Car began in late 1949, several Kurtis-

Kraft sport cars were produced over the next year with fiberglass panels

(front and rear fenders, hood, trunk lid), and promoted as such in literature

and magazines.

Fiberglass was the new “wonder” material and both Kurtis and Omohundro, no

doubt, wanted to be at the forefront of their industry. The car industry took

notice and in October, 1950, Motor Trend ran a four-page article titled:

“Fiberglass—A Threat To Steel.”

In this article, the methods, production, and cost were discussed on how

fiberglass panels were built by “Paul Omohundro in Paramount, California.” So

the third time was the charm for Omohundro and Kurtis. Through collaboration

they successfully built the first production car in the world using fiberglass body

panels—the Kurtis Sport Car.

Paul Omohundro would continue working in this medium and grow his firm to

great success with the “Paul Omohundro Company.” However, his dedication to

coachbuilding sports cars and race car bodies out of aluminum and/or fiberglass

ceased with the final collaboration with Frank Kurtis on the Kurtis Sport Car in

1949-1950.

Frank Kurtis would ultimately produce a fiberglass bodied sports car that debuted

in 1954 on a Kurtis 500 KK chassis—the Kurtis 500 M Roadster. This was one of

the earliest fiberglass bodied sports cars built in America, and was used for race

and sport.

106

Letter From Frank Kurtis to Alex Boeriu Dated May 30th, 1986.

In the letter presented below, Frank Kurtis confirmed to Alex Boeriu that Paul Omohundro’s Comet Company was producing alumin um

bodies for the midget race cars that he was selling. He also confirmed that he laid out the design for the Kurtis sports car he built for

Bill Hughes in 1940. It was that “Frank Kurtis Design” that was used by Paul Omohundro as the basis for producing both Kurti s-

Omohundro Comet sports cars.

Frank Kurtis and Paul Omohundro collaborated one more time (three times in total) in producing the Kurtis Sport Car. In this project,

Paul Omohundro’s Comet Company produced fiberglass panels for these cars including front and rear fenders, hood, and deck lid . This

was a watershed moment, and marked the first use of fiberglass for a production car in the world.

107

The two-page letter below was sent from Paul Omohundro to Richard Kelley as a response to Richard’s request for more

information about the building of both Kurtis -Omohundro Comets. Richard was a frequent contributor to Special-Interest Autos

Magazine and they had published his article, “The Creative Customs of Frank Kurtis”, the year before he wrote this letter

to Paul—in 1980.

In personal communication (Geoff Hacker, 2010), Richard relayed that he was following up on the relationship of Frank Kurtis to

Paul Omohundro, their business collaborations, and their completed and uncompleted projects. Note Paul Omohundro’s humble

comments about his own accomplishments concerning the “build” of both Kurtis -Omohundro Comet sports cars that his “Comet

Company” produced.

Letter From Paul Omohundro to Richard Kelley (Automotive Historian) Dated April 3rd, 1981.

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Frank Kurtis and Paul Omohundro Collaborated on the Building of the Kurtis Sport Car (1949-1950) —Their Third Project Together.

Paul Omohundro’s Comet Company Produced the Fiberglass Panels for the Kurtis Sport Car (Motor Trend, October, 1950).

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Paul Omohundro’s “Comet Company” Grew In Size And Scope And Soon Was Renamed “The Paul Omohundro Company.”

It Would Become One of the Largest Suppliers of Industrial Plastic and Fiberglass Parts in the Early and Mid ’50s. Shown Above Is Catalog From The mid-’50s.

The Company Exists as of Today (2012), and is Called “The Omohundro Company.” Their Focus is on Aerospace Composites— What We Used To Call “Plastics.”

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According to Tom Omohundro, Paul’s son, his father’s original intention was to build

completed Comet sports cars. This idea took hold during World War II, and it was during

this time, circa 1944-1945, that his father met with officials from Ford Motor Company

laying the ground work on obtaining complete Ford chassis for intended car production.

In 1946, by the time the design of the sports car moved from the drawing board to the

Comet Company plant in Los Angeles, California, Ford had changed their mind and

decided not to sell chassis to the Comet Company. This may explain why the 1947 Kurtis

-Omohundro Comet was built on a 1940 Ford chassis with 112 inch wheelbase (1933-

1940). Newer Ford 114” wheelbase chassis (1941-1951) were in limited supply, and it

would have been easier to find a 112” chassis—and this would have likely been more

cost-effective too.

Paul Omohundro overcame this challenge by offering completed Comet sports cars that

would be built on Ford chassis provided by customers. These donor cars were intended

to serve as the basis for Comet Company’s production plans. A completed Comet sports

car would have been quite costly — $3000 plus the cost of a donor car. Unfortunately,

according to Tom Omohundro, expected pre-sales did not materialize and funding was

not adequate to move forward with production. Only two cars were built — one in 1947

and one in 1948.

While the original communication between Ford and Paul Omohundro has been lost to

time, corresponding documents confirming the difficulty of obtaining Ford chassis was

found in the John Bond (Road & Track) Archives located at Kettering University in Flint,

Michigan. Shown to the left is a letter from H.W. Fleet of Ford Motor Company

confirming difficulty in allocating Ford chassis in the late 1940s for special projects.

We can only speculate why Ford changed their mind and declined to offer Ford chassis

to the Comet Company. No doubt postwar demand for Ford automobiles was high, and

Ford could easily sell completed cars. There may have been no reason for them to sell

complete chassis separately in the early postwar years.

Concerning the letter to John Bond, there may have been another reason Ford turned

down Bond’s request. In 1949 Ford came out with a chassis that included independent

front suspension and a newly updated drivetrain. This may have led to another short-

supply situation— this time in 1949. We may never know the real reason for Ford’s lack

of support in both cases.

Letter From Ford Motor Company In October, 1948 to

John Bond Confirming Ford Frame Unavailability.

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Map Showing Owner Hometowns of the 1947 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet— Across America From 1947 to Present.

9

8 7

6 5 4

3

2

1

5

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1. Paul Omohundro (Bellflower, California): 1946-1947

2. Sam Cornell (Bloomington Hills, Michigan): 1947-1959

3. Unknown Owner (Toledo, Ohio): 1959-1963

4. Menifee Motors, Doug Rudder (Menifee, Kentucky): 1964-1965

5. Jerry Ingram (Frenchburg, Kentucky; Sacramento, California): 1965-1975

6. Leon Hopper (Frenchburg, Kentucky): 1975-1978

7. Leroy Jenkins Evangelistic Association (Delaware, Ohio): 1978-1986

8. Alex Boeriu (Columbus, Ohio): 1986-2007

9. Geoff Hacker (Tampa, Florida): 2007 to present


114

This Article Appeared in the 2010 Book by Tom Cotter “Corvette in The Barn” and was Written by Noted Author Harold Pace.

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From Left to Right, Susan Gunn, Phil Fleming, Jack Woolridge, and Clark Mitchell at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, 2009.

119

With Special Thanks:

Much thanks must be given to the following people for their

support, assistance, and encouragement. Each name appears

just once, but many belong in more than one area—I’ve done

my best to organize.

Phil Fleming—who made this adventure possible

The Omohundro Family (Tom, Bonnie, Gail, Lee, and

Heloise who is Paul Omohundro’s sister). When we

started our research, no one knew if Paul’s cars had

survived. I’m pleased how far we have come.

Rick D’Louhy—co-author, who I’ve been on automotive

adventures with since 1980, 32 years and counting.

And...who without his help and support in all of these

adventures—including finding, purchasing, and bringing

home the “Comet” — this and many other stories would

not have been possible.

Mike Wittman—who came to the rescue and made picking

up “Mae West” an adventure back in 2007

Museums, Concours, and Libraries

Alain Cerf (owner) of the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum,

Pinellas Park, Florida

Martin Godbey (owner) as well as Don Walters and

Nathan Clary of the Sarasota Classic Car Museum,

Sarasota, Florida

Ken Gross, Sandra Button, Kandace Hawkinson, Jules “J”

Heumann, and the folks at the Pebble Beach Concours

d’Elegance, Pebble Beach, California

Leslie Kendall (Curator), as well as Mary Brisson, Clayton

Drescher, and Tom Kenney of the Petersen Automotive

Museum in Los Angeles, California

Jason Harris and the Lemay—America’s Car Museum,

Tacoma, Washington

Jeff Lane of the Lane Motor Museum, Nashville, Tennessee

Mark Patrick, Mark Bowden, and the National Automotive

History Collection at the Detroit Public Library,

Detroit, Michigan

Greg Sharp of the NHRA Motorsports Museum in

Pomona, California

Bill Warner and the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance,

Jacksonville, Florida

David White, Historian, Scharchburg Archives (location of

John Bond Archives), Kettering University, Flint, Michigan

Historians:

Tom Brierly, Terry Boyce, Glenn Brummer, William

Chapin, Robert Cumberford, Ron Cummings, Bob

Cunningham, George Dammann, Bob Falcon, John

Gunnell, Bob Gurr, Gerald (Gerry) Huth, Richard Kelley,

Michael Lamm, Richard Langworth, Robert Lee, Jim

Miller, Raffi Minasian, James Moloney, Stan Mott, Bruce

Perry, Phil Remington, Tom Saal, Paul Sable, Ray

Scroggins, Jim Sitz, Jonathan Stein, Thom Taylor,

Norman Timbs Jr., Mark Wallach, Gordon White, Bob

Whitmer, and Perry Zavitz

Magazines and Authors:

Mark Brinker—Author, historian, and friend

Woflgang Buchta of Austro Classic

Ryan Cochran of the Jalopy Journal

Tom Cotter—Author, historian, and friend

Scotty Gosson—Author, historian, and friend

Geoff Miles and Steve Coonan of The Rodder’s Journal

Harold Pace—Author, historian, and friend

Mike Phillips of AutoGeek

Todd Ruel of Gone Autos

Daniel Strohl of Hemmings Motor News

Angelo Van Bogart of Old Cars Weekly

Dave Wallace of Hot Rod Deluxe

Mick Walsh of Classic and Sports Car (UK)

Artists:

John Caswell, Dan Palatnik, Stewart Reed of Stewart

Reed Design, and Jimmy Smith

Former Owners & Their Families:

Alex Boeriu, Jerry Ingram, and Kent Walter

Technical Advisors:

James Saccoccio and friends at Joblot Automotive

Brian Jorgensen—friend and mechanic extraordinaire

Strategists and “Think Tank” (and still friends too!):

Guy Dirkin, Rik Hoving, Alden Jewell, Rollie Langston,

Tony Miller, and Erich Schultz

Friends:

The Almquist Gang: Roger Adam, Ed Almquist, Bill Jackson, Clark

Mitchell, and Jack Woolridge

Derby and Arthur Ahlstone, Pat Amendolia, Denny Allen, Noel

“Bangert” Marshall, Tom Bambard, Peter Boyd, John Buzby, Scot

Carr, Gary and Diane Cerveny, Olga Covington and her son John and

family, Steve Cowdin, Frank Cornell, Darren and Julie Crispin, Bob

Curtis, Joan Dawes and family, Ben Emerson, Dick and Jeanette

Foser, Stan and Ann Fowler, Ted Greg and Kerry Griffin, Bill Hair,

Frank Hecox, Marshall Foxworthy, Dennis Gerdes and family, James

Giles, Jon Greuel, John Gulow, Dick Jones, Mel Keys, Jon Hall,

Richard Lewis, Ron and Sonya Kellogg, Ted Kempgens, Arlen (Frank’s

son) and Carol Kurtis, Tim Masters, George McGurire, Scott Miller,

Hugh Nutting, Rodney and Bill Packwood, Dave Perry, Jon Phillips,

Merrill and Gerianne Powell, Bill Quirk, Tim Ritter, Fred and Deanna

Roth and their son Christopher, Richard and Diana Russell, Denise

Sheldon, Darren Swanson, Will Silk, Jim Simpson, Tony St. Clair, Bill

Tritt and his sons Matt and Greg, Les Weber, Nick Whitlow,

and Michael Woodill

Family:

And my family—Ruth (Mom), Sisters Missy and Julie, Brothers Jon

and Josh, Uncle Phil (Phoon), Cousins Russ and Tina, and my

relatives of years gone by — Morrie and Pearl Hacker, Blanche

Hacker, Al Weiss, Bill and Ruth Sinkovich, Florence and Eddie

Sinkovich and their son Eddie Sinkovich, and Julie and Joe Solin

Lifelong friends are like family too! Randy Abernathy, Van Karen

and Kari Fenstermaker, Susan Gunn, Ray Hansil and family, Nancy

Kent, Tom Shelly, Paul and Jean Terhorst, Dave Trandel, Ed Watson,

and many other folks who I am fortunate enough to call my

“friends” and who have enriched my life in every way.

With Tribute:

Frank Kurtis— whose legacy in sports and race car building in the ’40s

and ’50s is unparalleled—what an exciting life he led!

Paul Omohundro— who had the vision, skill, and tenacity to embark

on such an adventure, and who fired the first salvo bringing to life

America’s first postwar sports car.

Dan Post—who was the first to document the “Sport Custom”

phenomenon starting in 1944 and continued doing so through the

mid ’50s—a true visionary.

Quote Shared by Dan Post in his “California Custom Car Photo Album”

Published in 1947. This was the First Published Work on Sports Cars

and Custom Cars in Postwar America:

— There is No Intellect that does not Desire to Create Continually, and the Pleasure

in the Perception of a New or Unaccustomed Form of Unity is Comparable to

That of Original Achievement —

— Herbert Langfeld, The Aesthetic Attitude (1920)

If You Liked The Story of Finding The First Kurtis-Omohundro Comet…

You’re Going to Love The Story Concerning the Search For And Acquisition of the Second Car.

— Coming Soon To A Concours Near You—

1_1947 kurtis-omohundro comet

Documents

kurtisomohundro cometas

omohundro family collection

special cars

kurtiskraft sport cars

paul omohundro of bellflower

phil fleming

class of car

frank kurtis of glendale