UC_Portolio_Book

43 1947 Kurtis - Omohundro Comet America ’ s First Documented Postwar Sports Car The 1947 Kurtis - Omohundro Comet was the first true American sports car built after World War II. This “ one of a kind ” coachbuilt roadster was designed by Frank Kurtis of Kurtis - Kraft and constructed with an all - aluminum body by Paul Omohundro and his drop hammer tooling company, the Comet Company, of Los Angeles, CA. This was one of the sportiest cars on the roads of Southern California at the time, and helped establish Frank Kurtis as a leading sports car designer, engineer, and coachbuilder in the classic tradition. The Comet ’ s appearance inspired designers and builders to create their own versions of postwar sports cars, reflecting the return to a carefree, extroverted style of living for which Southern California residents became well known, and which was widely emulated all across America in the postwar era. When we first acquired the Kurtis, we document its history including activities such as flying out to California and visiting Arlen Kurtis—son of Frank Kurtis. Additional trips were scheduled to learn information from the Omohundro family. All previous owners were interviewed too and everything we learned was shared in our first authored book on this car which we released in 2012 when the Comet debuted at the Pebble Beach Concours d ’ Elegance. Since acquisition, the Comet has appeared at both the Amelia and Pebble Beach Concours d ’ Elegance, and at Amelia, it won the coveted Most Elegant Sports Car Award . It was the lead car in the entryway for the inaugural year of the LeMay Automotive museum in Tacoma, Washington. It also served at the feature car for the 2013 Milwaukee Masterpiece Concours d ’ Elegance headlining the feature class of “ Handcrafted Sports Cars ” and was invited to and participated in the Kirkland Concours d ’ Elegance in Tacoma, Washington. Our Comet also was an anchor car in the Peterson Automotive Museum ’ s “ California Car Design ” Exhibit in 2009 and was a feature car on the TV show Jay Leno ’ s Garage. In 2013, Motor Trend Classic did a ten page feature article on the Comet in their magazine. Kurtis - Omohundro Comet in 1947. Photo By Strother MacMinn. Paul Omohundro Behind The Wheel of His Newly Finished Comet— 1947