1948 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet

91 1940 Coachcraft Special 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 ’30 s. 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.