Earl “Madman” Muntz was, in every sense, one of the great characters of early post-war America. His fortunes—there was more than one—were made in used cars, and subsequently in manufacturing and selling televisions; reportedly 'TV' was first coined when Muntz abbreviated the name for skywriting.

Muntz’s Jet was created when the audacious businessman acquired Frank Kurtis’ design for a roadgoing, envelope-bodied sports convertible in 1950. Muntz made the car longer and more comfortable, with a speedboat-inspired interior carrying a bank of airplane-style instrumentation, rolled and pleated upholstery, and a fitted ice chest for one’s highballs. Each was powered by a highly tuned American V-8—at first Cadillac, and later Lincoln—and had excellent performance. The cars’ power and hand-built exclusivity, as well as Muntz’s unrelenting salesmanship, put them in the garages of Clara Bow, Vic Damone, Grace Kelly, Mickey Rooney, and others. According to the Muntz Registry, about 190 were made, initially in Glendale, California, and later in Evanston, Illinois, before the creator discontinued the venture. He bounced back and went on to pioneer the manufacture and sales of eight-track tapes.

The Jet offered here was, according to articles included within the history file, the 30th made, and thus the first built in Evanston and the last with the Cadillac V-8 used in the early cars. Oral history has long held that it was delivered to a member of the Pillsbury baking goods family. It was discovered in the 1960s by enthusiast Jim Castoro, stored in a barn in Michigan. Later it was acquired by renowned collector Calvin High of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and restored by Steve Babinsky’s Automotive Restorations. Mr. High displayed it at several events, including the 2013 Elegance at Hershey. It also won an Antique Automobile Club of America National Senior First Prize.

Mr. High eventually sold the car in 2017 to his friend John Shibles, the late, much-loved enthusiast from Sea Girt, New Jersey. Mr. Shibles’ wife, Jill, fell in love with “Buttercup,” as they dubbed the Jet, and she regularly showed it in various concours, including the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in 2020 and the 2023 Sculpture in Motion show in Palm Beach, Florida.

An outstanding example of a pioneering American sports car—indeed, perhaps the first post-war luxury GT from an American manufacturer—“Buttercup” stands ready to enter the next collection in its proud history.