The MUNTZ JET by Mikansue (and me)

^{A kit that was fun!  (But not simple!) The Mikansue Americana MUNTZ JET of 1954}

  ^{Those few years just after World War II brought the “Might Have Been’s” into production... well, to varying degrees.  The few survivors today are primarily curiosities: Crosley, Tucker, King Midget, Kaiser-Frazer (the most successful!), and the Muntz Jet.  I’m sure there were others.  Some had corporate moments of success, others struggled for survival over the years; generally they are forgotten.  But if we look at our 1/43 collections, we might find a few of them.  Here’s the pictographic saga of one, which I finished just this morning.}

^{The Muntz Jet, by Mikansue Americana (and me)}

   ^{A 1951-54 racy four-passenger sporty luxury car derived from a two-seat sports car built by the Indy 500 genius race car builder Frank Curtis and modified and produced by Earl “Madman” Muntz.  It was America’s first post-World  War II “personal luxury car,” and it was produced in California, Indiana, and Illinois, all 300 of them (or maybe 400? 394? 198?)}

   ^{Scale models of the Muntz Jet are uncommon, with the two versions by Brooklin being best known.  Mine was made by the English firm of Mikansue in their Americana series, somewhere around 1980. Here’s my little photographic essay for your possible enjoyment if not elucidation.  Oh yes, if you're counting seats, Muntz sometimes offered a cover over the rear seat to give the Jet the appearance of a 2-seat sporty car.  The roof?  Well, that's another story.}

^{For those masochists who want to know more of the Muntz Jet, here are some pretty good sites:}

^{https://www.danjedlicka.com/classic_cars/1951_54%20_muntz_jet.html}

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/automotive-history-1949-1954-muntz-jet-the-jet-age-hadnt-quite-arrived-yet/

njedlicka.com/classic_cars/1951_54%20_muntz_jet.html#:~:text=The%20Muntz%20Jet%20was%20derived,operation%20to%20Muntz%20for%20%24200%2C000.