Makes › Muntz › Jet · Rare production Extremely Rare
Muntz
Jet
Luxury four-seat convertible built by Earl Muntz; a newspaper puts real production at 198 against the often-quoted 400.
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States · CC BY 2.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 198 Built
- Years
- Not yet verified
- Engine
- V8, flathead · 5,520 cc / 5.5 LFactory: 337 cu in · converted
- Power
- Not yet verified
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 50 (independently researched)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Muntz Jet was a 1950s American sports car from Earl Muntz, whose production claims were often inflated. Its price, about 5,500 dollars in 1953, is thought to have caused the marque's early end, and it appeared three years before the Corvette.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Muntz Jet (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States · CC BY 2.0
Muntz Jet (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States · CC BY 2.0
Muntz Jet (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States · CC BY 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionestimated, per Hemmings (2014) | 502 | Surviving examples | Independently researched |
| Total model productionMuntz Jets produced (earlier claims of about 400 said to be inflated) | 1981 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Earl Muntz, known for cheap 1950s televisions, is said to have inflated production figures to impress investors; the newspaper gives the real number as 198. The Jet cost about $5,500 and Muntz later admitted losing about $1,000 on each car because of low volume.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Jet.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine manufacturer | Lincoln3 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | V8, flathead3 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 5,520 cc / 5.5 LFactory: 337 cu in · converted3 Independently researchedEngine of one restored 1951 car; treated as the model's engine. |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | Not yet verified |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
The Muntz Jet, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Level C
- 198 Muntz Jets produced (earlier claims of about 400 said to be inflated)
-
2
Two of 50 survivors Level C Hemmings (Wayback capture)
- an estimated 50 Muntz Jets survive
-
3
The 1951 Muntz Jet's high price likely caused its early demise Level C St. Louis Post-Dispatch (stltoday.com)
- flat head Lincoln V-8
- 337 cubic inch, flat head Lincoln V-8
Keep exploring
More from Muntz
This is the only Muntz documented so far.
More from United States
-
Checker · 1961–1974
Aerobus
Production not yet verified
-
Dodge
Monaco "Bluesmobile" (The Blues Brothers 1980 film cars)
Production not yet verified
-
Chevrolet · 2008
Corvette ZHZ Hertz Special Edition (2008)
500 Built
-
Ford · 1963
Falcon Sprint convertible (1963½)
4,602 Built
141 other makes from United StatesAC PropulsionAcuraAllstateAMCAmerican LaFranceAmerican MotorsAmerican UnderslungApteraArmstrongArnoltAuburnBaldwin-MotionBantamBarris KustomsBendixBerger ChevroletBill ThomasBollingerBremerBuckeyeBuffumBuickCadillacCallawayCastleCheckerChevroletChristieChryslerClenetCodaColumbiaConsulierCordCunninghamCzingerDana ChevroletDean JeffriesDeSotoDetroit ElectricAll makes →