1948 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet

87 Part IV — What Was And Might Have Been 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 ’40 s may be considered designs lost to time or: — America ’ s Lost Wartime Sports Cars — By the late ’30 s, 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 ’30 s 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 ’40 s 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.