North America's First Sporty Cars



 
 
The year was 1949 and the troops were home from the war in Europe.
The North American auto manufactures of the day noticed that a number of these service men brought something with them. Something that would turn heads. 
It was a small two passenger car that was referred to as “SPORTS CARS” 
The automobile industry took serious note of this and would never be the same again.
There was a scramble by the North American auto manufactures to get their own version of a "sports car" into production.
A number of different ways were used to accomplish this but in doing so the sports car was forgotten by most and the "SPORTY CAR" was invented.
General Motors used existing parts from the Chevrolet and a fiberglass body to come up with the Corvette.
Ford built the Thunderbird, which also used existing parts, and Chrysler was going to build a completely new car but never completed the project.
Other manufactures turned to the place that knew a the most about these sports cars and had them build a car to their specifications and others adapted what was already available to fit the sporty car mode.
The final results were quite interesting and have left us to question, who was really first in North America with a true sports car?.
However this web page looks at the question a bit different.
Who was the first to build a true “Sporty Car”? The opinions on this page are mine but you are invited to pass your own on to me by using the E Mail Link below.
The US Post Office brought out a series of postage stamps commentating the American Sports Car and we should assume that they researched this question properly but I will let you decide for your self who was first. 
I'll tell you this though, they made at least one mistake.
In my mind only one car comes closer to the European "Sports Car" then any of the others and is a true sporty car. There is one true sports car on production today that is just more them a resemblance. 
I also believe that the Harley Earl also used this car as a model for the Corvette.

The seven manufactures that were attempting to bring a sports car into production.
Some of these were more successful then others.



 
Stamps from the United States Post Office

 
 1952 Nash Healey
 1953 Chevrolet Corvette
 1953 Studebaker Starliner
 1954 Kaiser Darrin
 1955 Ford Thunderbird

Muntz

1953 Muntz Jet
 
1953 Muntz Jet
I would suspect that many of you have never
heard of the Muntz Jet.
It was built by Earl "Madman Muntz" was an 
extremely successful used car salesman in 
California who became famous for his 
showmanship-like promotion of cars and the
electronics products produced and sold..
The Jet was Muntz's answer to the sports
cars that were coming onto the scene in the 
early 1950's.
This car is listed with Hyman Ltd.
http://www.hymanltd.com/
1953 Muntz Jet
 
1953 Muntz Jet
1953 Muntz Jet
1953 Muntz Jet
1953 Muntz Jet

Chrysler

1941 Chrysler Newport
1954 Plymouth Belmont Concept Car
1954 Plymouth Belmont Concept Car
1954 Plymouth Belmont Concept Car
1954 Plymouth Belmont Concept Car
1954 Plymouth Belmont Concept Car

Ford

1955 Ford Thunderbird
1955 Ford Thunderbird
1955 Ford Thunderbird
1956 Ford Thunderbird
1956 Ford Thunderbird
1956 Ford Thunderbird
1957 Ford Thunderbird
1957 Ford Thunderbird
1957 Ford Thunderbird
1958 Ford Thunderbird
1959 Ford Thunderbird
1959 Ford Thunderbird
1964 1/2 Ford Mustang 289with Lee Iacocca and Donald Frey
1965 Ford Mustang
 1965 Ford Mustang V8 2Door Fastback
 1966 Ford Shelby Mustang GT350
Hertz Fastback
 1967 Ford Mustang
1969 Ford Mustang 390 GT Sportsroof

General Motors

1951 Buick Lesabre
1954 Pontiac Strato Streak
1956 Oldsmobile Golden Rocket
1953  Corvette
1953  Corvette
1953  Corvette
1954  Corvette
1954  Corvette
1960  Corvette
1961 Chevrolet Corvair Monza
1962 Chevrolet Corvair Monza GT
Concept Car
1962 Chevrolet Corvair Monza SS
Roadster Concept Car

Hudson

 1954 Hudson Italia
1954 Hudson Italia
1954 Hudson Italia

Kaiser

1954 Kaiser Darrin Roadster
1954 Kaiser Darrin Roadster
1954 Kaiser Darrin Roadster
1954 Kaiser Darrin Roadster
1954 Kaiser Darrin Roadster
1954 Kaiser Darrin Roadster

Nash

1951 Nash Healey
1952 Nash Healey
1953 Nash Healey
1953 Nash Healey
1954 Nash Metropolitan
1954 Nash Metropolitan
1957 Nash Rambler Palm Beach
1958 Nash AMC Metropolitan
1959 Nash AMC Metropolitan

Studebaker

 1953 Studebaker Commander
 1953 Studebaker Champion Starliner
 1954 Studebaker Commander Starliner
1954 Studebaker Commander Starliner
1955 Studebaker Champion Coupe
1955 Studebaker President Speedster
1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk
1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk
1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk
1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk
1958 Studebaker Silver Hawk
1960 Studebaker Silver Hawk

Crosley

1949 Crosley Hot Shot Roadster
1950 Crosley Hot Shot Roadster
1950 Crosley Hot Shot Roadster
1951 Crosley Hot Shot Roadster
1952 Crosley Super Sport
1952 Crosley Super Sport

 
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