LOT 70
1955 Kurtis 500 Swallow Coupe Coachwork by Allied Chassis no. KK43
Estimate: US$200,000 - US$300,000
Lot 70
1955 Kurtis 500 Swallow Coupe Coachwork by Allied
1955 Kurtis 500 Swallow Coupe
Coachwork by Allied
Chassis no. KK43
Coachwork by Allied
Chassis no. KK43
317ci Lincoln Hi-Po V8 Engine
Single 4-Barrel Carburetor
Est. 257bhp at 5,000rpm
5-Speed Manual Transmission
4-Wheel Torsion Bar Suspension
Front Disc - Rear Drum Brakes
*One of just two KK500's originally constructed for the 1955 La Carrera Panamerica Race
*Tastefully upgraded with High Performance and safety details
*Participant in the Carrera Panamericana, Chihuahua Express and Copperstate 1000 Rallies
*Featured in Hot Rod Magazine
THE KURTIS
Frank Kurtis rose from humble roots as the son of first-generation Croatian immigrants to a leader in the construction of beautiful, race-winning Midget and Indy cars. Born in 1908 to a blacksmithing father, his participation in the family business helped him get his start as a fabricator in Los Angeles in the 1920s. Learning the ropes on Midget racers, he would really hit his stride in the post-WWII period when he transitioned from Midget to Indy cars. Kurtis would produce cars that would take victory at Brickyard in 1951 and 1953-1955 (he came in second in '52). His cars remained competitive at Indy for a decade after that last victory.
LA CARRERA PANAMERICANA
The modern Carrera Panamericana is a revival of the famous international Pan Am race that was conducted between 1950-1954. Many of the world's most famous drivers, including world champions like Phil Hill and Juan Manuel Fangio, came to Mexico during these years to test their cars, skill, and stamina. The race was started in 1950 by the Mexican government to publicize to the world that Mexico had a new system of highways that stretched across the country – from north to south – for commerce and tourism. By the end of 1954, there were too many casualties for the race to continue, and the 1955 event, for which this Allied bodied Kurtis 500 was built, was canceled.
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
The car offered here is one of just two Kurtis Kraft 500 racing chassis known to have been fitted with Allied bodies; in this case, the car is fitted with the short-wheelbase Swallow model. Allied bodies of Los Angeles, CA built "Swallow" fiberglass bodies intended to be mounted on a number of different chassis ranging from MG TDs, to modified domestic and Kurtis 500 chassis. The brutal Kurtis was equipped from new with a potent Lincoln V8 engine and three-speed manual transmission, and it was reportedly originally intended for the 1955 Carrera Panamericana.
In 1990, the car was prepared for the modern-day incarnation of the Carrera Panamericana by Phil Denny, of PRD Engineering in Sonoma, California, and it was driven in that year's race by Jeffrey Pattinson. It has continued to be vintage raced by its owners since, including in the 2007 and 2008 Carrera Panamericana, as well as in the 2009 Chihuahua Express and Copperstate 1000 Rally. Today, it is built as a full vintage racing car, with a complete roll cage, racing seats, a removable steering wheel, a fuel cell, an oil pressure warning light, and a late model Tilton pedal and master cylinder setup for its front disc brakes. The Lincoln Y-block engine was rebuilt by JMS Racing Engines, of El Monte, California, and it was reportedly dyno-tested at 257 brake horsepower and 308 foot-pounds of torque. The car looks as if it has been driven, but charmingly so, with just enough road wear to its paint to indicate that it is, indeed, fully and robustly functional. It was featured in the June 2008 issue of Hot Rod magazine, which is a testament to the continued appeal of this thrilling vintage racer, as it combines Italian styling with California ingenuity and American V8 power.
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