1948 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet

115 Ford ’ s Impact On Comet Production Plans 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.