Ep. 35 The American Sports Car Craze of the Early 1950's

[@EdsAutoReviews]

Enter at ​www.omaze.com/edsautoreviews for your chance to win a Superformance Cobra and support a great cause, The Petersen Automotive Museum!

[@Amorousstake4]

You just made it like a GTA IV in game documentary parody, Did you played it? Omaze sponsors Donut Media

[@rareblues78daddy]

Ed has a sponsor! Yay! Good on 'ya, brother. (I clicked the link, but I don't need something else that might kill me. Decent looking Cobra clone, though.)

[@American-Motors-Corporation]

Ahhhh a supposed shortage of steel and other materials after the war????? Kind of sounds like today where everybody's pretending there's some sort of shortage even though if you work in those industries you will more than likely see more than enough materials going around even on retail side you're going to see the store get in a whole host of products and a bunch of each product more than adequate the stock shelves yet you'll notice that your colleagues are only putting out so much product on the shelf you're also going to notice that when people come through and do the normal levels of shopping it looks like there's a problem!! Well the same time we're all aware that the price keeps going higher and higher and higher gee kind of makes me wonder about that they're post-worker market it also makes me wonder about all the restrictions on what they could build what they couldn't build I mean America was supposed to be so fucking better than their enemies via Japan and Germany so apparently we were living so normal well at the same time they're telling us we weren't!! No overtime because the fucking dick head retard known as FDR didn't permit that factories to pay a shit ton of overtime like they should have been doing so the company's offered up health insurance that's why health insurance is a big deal today folks!! That's how it entered the workplace which should have never have done! I think about the lies from that era and time that I've studied heard from Grand folks etc I think about the lies of hard time and I can say it's all about shit!!

[@olivierdochez4141]

Oh great, another "sponsor" to a European reviewer that is unavailable in Europe to participate.

[@robwhite3241]

Ok that thing is awesome, my one question is how did they put a manual transmission behind the new Godzilla engine and how can I do they same

[@gpalmerify]

So nostalgic to hear a mention of the Jaguar XK120. My dad bought one in pieces and restored it with a cloth top. He told me that car wasn't seen in US suburbia (unlike Triumphs & MGs) he was constantly challenged by guys with suped up Fords & Chevys. After he raced and the challenger skidded off the road on a sharp curve, he still ran against them but would back off on curves so the guys trying to follow him wouldn't wreak. I blame my dad for my automotive obsession because he drove my then pregnant mom to the hospital in that car to bring me into the world. Thanks dad & mom. Everyone have a great Mother's Day!

[@rareblues78daddy]

The Jag probably wasn't seen is suburbia because the guys who owned them couldn't get 'em out of the driveway. Beautiful car, but shit electrics. Lucas eventually got it together, but those early Jags were junk.

[@gpalmerify]

@@rareblues78daddy YES! My dad bought his from a family friend who gave up fixing it after tearing the engine apart.Dad also kept a piston crown with pitting on top (the ring broke off). Back then people in the US had to factory order repair parts from England as well.The 120 was more expensive than the MGs & Triumphs too. Even with all the trouble he had with it, dad never complained about that car and remembered it fondly.

[@Thanos.m]

@@rareblues78daddy If anything early Jags were actually really good until they got absorbed by British Leyland perhaps a bit too complicated for average US mechanic back then if you think that DOHC engines wouldn't be comon place till 40 years after the XK120

[@mescko]

@@Thanos.m He didn't mention that the Duesenbergs were powered by a 420 cid straight eight with DOHC and four valves per cyl. built by Lycoming. Not much new, eh?

[@EdsAutoReviews]

Truly an awesome story! And like you said, if racing the Jag towards the hospital doesn't make you a born-to-be car enthusiast, I don't know what is. Is the car still in your family? Might be worth some bucks right now.

[@rockdog2584]

In the early 60's, my Dad raced a Crosley "Special" (tubular frame, fiberglass body) that he built himself. It was basically a 750cc, adult-sized go-cart (slightly larger than a cart though). I wish I had pictures of it.

[@rareblues78daddy]

My dad's first car was a Henry J... but it was an Allstate. (Sold by Sears, of all places.) He never raced it, but... find someone else who owned one. Rare as hen's teeth. Not valuable, but rare.

[@slicksnewonenow]

@Rock Dog Wild! My ex father in law owned a Crosley Hot Shot since new... It was just about two inches bigger than a go kart...🤣 Even back in the early 2000s, he kept it well maintained, and he was already 95 years old himself. That was a fun little car, alright!

[@mr.ogpaint]

Sounds a lot like the “Eyerly Special” are you familiar with it?

[@rockdog2584]

@@mr.ogpaint YES!!! Harry Eyerly's "Special" was the 'blueprint' for my Dad's car. He (my Dad) raced it at Catoti(?) a number of times.

[@mcdainty4202]

@@rareblues78daddy There's a collector in Olivia, MN who has 14 HenryJ's.

[@kellingtonlink956]

Very well thought out and edited… and entertaining. Thanks for another history lesson.

[@EdsAutoReviews]

Thanks!

[@RichardFriesinger]

A new episode by Ed, that makes the week complete.

[@theogantenbein7870]

Yea, a nice way to finish the weekend 😁.

[@BankstonT]

😆

[@EdsAutoReviews]

A new comment by Richard Friesinger, that makes the week complete.

[@michaelbeahn5977]

Love seeing the partnership and sponsorship you have now. You earned it, brother. And the tie in with the Peterson museum makes total sense as I would say you’ve proven to be as passionate about automotive history as they are. Keep it up.

[@EdsAutoReviews]

The Peterson connection is what did it for me!

[@michaelbeahn5977]

@@EdsAutoReviews Ha ha. Absolutely. The sponsorship with Omaze was great to see. But, the tie in with Peterson was just perfect. Loved seeing this. It’s well earned. Every new video pops up and it’s an instant click and watch. No exaggeration.

[@giggiddy]

I don't know anyone who packs the amount of information with the level of quality into videos like you do. You cover an incredible array of vehicles in every country like you were born and raised in that country and era. Spectacular! Thank you for these longer videos as well. They make our day for sure!!

[@jaspal666]

The Rocket’s pics are from Lane Motor Museum in Nashville. If you are in the south east US, go there. It’s a car enthusiast’s dream.

[@jerrywood4508]

Thanks again, I've never seen the original styling of the Nash Healey before.

[@uncinarynin]

The Kurtis looked cool! It had some timelessness unlike many other products of its era.

[@EdsAutoReviews]

In my eyes, it really has a Donald Duck-comic-cartoon look to it.

[@uncinarynin]

@@EdsAutoReviews Not as cute as the Austin-Healey Sprite though.

[@BIGBADWOOD]

The Crosley Hotshot was the first production sports car built in the United States, beginning in 1949. Advanced for the time, with an overhead cam engine and 4-wheel disc brakes, they sold well despite being tiny by American standards - about the size of a Bugeye Sprite.

[@redram5150]

Mentioning the Henry J, Sears had an agreement with Kaiser to sell their cars at department stores under the in house brand “Allstate”. The idea of buying a car at a department store never caught on, but the interesting part was Sears offered FAR more options to consumers… color, interior patterns, etc than Kaiser at their dealerships while selling them for prices lower than Kaiser.

[@christopherconard2831]

At one time you could buy a house from Sears. You had to provide the land, but they shipped everything to you, with some assembly required. You could also fully furnish every room, including the garage, with items from Sears.

[@redram5150]

@@christopherconard2831 my former FIL lives in one. From the late 19th or early 20th century. Thought it was the last of a block of row homes, but it was just meant to be narrow. At one time you could buy just about anything from Sears, including heroin and cocaine

[@61rampy65]

I would say that the first American sports cars were the Mercer Raceabout and the Stutz Bearcat, from the mid-teens. Those were the cars with the "monocle" windshield. Another candidate would be the American Underslung, a very early attempt to make a low car. They put the axles above the leaf springs, instead of under them, thus making a low, good handling car. Still, great job as usual, Ed! Edit: American Underslung was built and designed by Harry Stutz, the same guy who built the Bearcat.

[@rpraetor]

Buick also had an underslung chassis.

[@mescko]

the American Underslungs are gorgeous!

[@captlazer5509]

On the American West coast, putting a V8 into a small sports car from Europe was quite popular. Birth place of the hot rod after all. GI's in the Pacific theater in WW2 were known to put truck engines into a willy's Jeep. The craziest engine swap I've seen is a V8 with a blower sticking out of the hood of a tiny bug eye Sprite.

[@mescko]

There is one out there with a 478 Hemi that looks bone stock. Well, if you peek under and see the tubbing...

[@ronschlorff7089]

Nice, my friend in high school or a bit after; well, his dad had a Sunbeam Tiger, Ford 260 with floor shift maybe 4 or three can't remember but a real nice little car. "Borrowed" it a few times, we did. British racing green, it was, with brown (leather? interior). Worth a bit now I guess, this was about 65-66.

[@seanwebb995]

So, the precursor to the LS-swap then?

[@DiecastDreamCustoms]

7:49 Just play it over and over again if you want a good giggle. Great video, Ed! Love this stuff! And... it's VUH RYE IT EE! Love ya! -Vic

[@saltycreole2673]

I'm old enough to remember all those tiny coupes with 4 cyl engines during the late '40's and early fifties. Rambler comes to mind.

[@johnreitz5676]

Ramblers never had 4 cylinder engines. The Metropolitan did, but they were not "Ramblers".

[@ronschlorff7089]

@@liberals_destroy_everythin2497 probably like me, I call dirt my "son"!! :D LOL

[@joshuas8258]

Ironic you said the Thunderbird wasn’t a sports car but if it wasn’t for the 55-57 T-Bird being a mega success and having much better power than the first gen Vette the American sports car prob would have been dead. The Thunderbird was simply the best example of a true sports car with power and forced GM to step up their game and make the Vette better which they did.

[@bwtv147]

The 55 T-Bird sold much better than the 55 Corvette but not because of much better power. In 1955 the 265 ci V8 was available in the Corvette. The 265 Chevy engine was competitive with the 292 Ford engine and proved to be cheaper and easier to make more powerful.

[@busman7228]

Hey Joshua, T Bird was never a sports car.

[@joshuas8258]

@@busman7228 it was faster than the Vette from 55-57. And the 57 E and F code were used in racing and 100% a sports car

[@ronschlorff7089]

@@bwtv147 Nice engine; had one in my '56 Belaire, drove cross country twice when in the Army (67-69) in it!

[@BIGBADWOOD]

The Crosley Hotshot was the first production sports car built in the United States, beginning in 1949. Advanced for the time, with an overhead cam engine and 4-wheel disc brakes, they sold well despite being tiny by American standards - about the size of a Bugeye Sprite.

[@RichardinNC1]

When growing up in the 60s, I practically memorized cover to cover, a 1954 book on all the worlds cars. Many of the cars mentioned were in there. The Kaiser Darin was cool looking but I still remember my favorite being a Maserati roadster. Similar styling to the Cobra years later. The book helped ignite my passion for cars but favored Mopars given that’s what my family owned. I still want a 1970 Dodge Challenger but my are they pricey these days!

[@rogertycholiz2218]

Richardin ~ My brother had a special order 1970 Dodge Challenger 440 with 2-quad carbs. It had a Hurst shifter. Quick as a wink!

[@ronschlorff7089]

@@rogertycholiz2218 "Quik as a wink" eh. What we said about fast cars, in the 60's, when I became a car nut: "it goes like a raped ape!" Works for any muscle car back in the day!!

[@ghw7192]

In the mid-60's, my mechanic had a Kaiser that he was restoring. He also had two supercharged Cord 812's sitting behind the shop rusting. He was going to restore them "someday"...

[@bassbusterx]

some things never change

[@davidcoudriet8439]

Thanks for adding Crosley. Often overlooked.

[@mikedrop4421]

I just wanted to say your pronunciation of aluminumumimun is perfect! Also the American phrase "its a dusey" meaning it was impressive is referring to the Dusenberg. It's basically the original "rides like a Cadillac". c

[@llmkursk8254]

I’d love to see a vid of the other side of the coin: Off-Roading. With topics such as the Willys Jeeps taken from the military, to Toyota’s FJ40, to the Meyers Manx and dune buggies, there’s certainly a deep dive into off-roading. While these days, most everyone drives a large, bulky SUV, there was a time when rugged, rambunctious vehicles climbed mountains and crossed deserts. When creature comforts were small, and instead removable tops and folding windshields were the hip thing. When having all the power and speed in the world would spin wheels while low gear modes in a 4 or 6 cylinder engine would get you anywhere…

[@EdsAutoReviews]

A Willys Jeep episode will come somewhere in the (not so) distant future!

[@josephbrady6760]

My cousin the late Richard Hallman, had a TV repair business in Philadelphia starting in the 1950's. He selected a Crosley panel truck for his vehicle. On at least 2 occasions he turned over rounding a corner in North Philadelphia. Both times the perennial corner boys ambled over and righted the Crosley.

[@Vespuchian]

I'm very impressed with the styling of the Kurtis, the way all the body panels line up, the grill-in-bumper, the deceptively simple shaping of a rounded rectangle, it could have been a real winner and timeless icon.

[@seed_drill7135]

At Hershey a couple of years ago I saw someone had "restomoded" their Muntz Jet to be a Kurtis clone.

[@markfitzpatrick7186]

10:47 look at the billboard in the backdrop!

[@jergervasi3331]

It’s just funny that “Superformance” is ONE word. LOL! Love you, Ed!

[@OneDullMan]

Always liked the sporty cars, tho I would not put the Corvette as sporty. For me, sporty is MG, Triumph and Porsche. Good handling and smallish and quite fast for what they are

[@ghraydon]

Very cool. My dad had a new Jaguar Coupe in 1953, Long Beach, California. It was British Racing Green and had a beautiful burlwood dashboard. We took it up to 113MPH on the Long Beach freeway. He also ran it at Lion's Drag Strip several times. We went to the unveiling of the exciting new Corvette at Beach City Chevrolet dealership the same year. I was a gorgeous Canary Yellow. When I was in high school in the 60's he bought a 1955 Jag roadster that someone had slipped a small block Chevy V-8 into. Southern California was and is, crazy for cars. We went to sports car races, drags, midget, sprint, hydroplanes, go karts and motorcycle races almost every weekend.

[@johnasbury7511]

The little Crosley hot shot was the first mass produced car to have disk brakes . They were so fast and break so well they were banned on most road courses in America. That's right to be fast they did not need a lot of power they just handled that well and the brakes were amazing for the time

[@garyovermyer1050]

Ed!! You have a Sponsor!! That's freaking awesome 👌 Good For You! Love your series! You have a Great Fresh Take on the Automobile and it's History! Keep it up! 💯

[@XLordLeamingtonX]

Small note: Madman Muntz was also a Kaizer-Fraser dealer for a while before he started his TV business.

[@thomastrout9997]

Nash and Healey met on trans Atlantic voyage completely by accident. During the crossing they worked out a deal which began the partnership. Oddly enough, I learned that at the Petersen.

[@mrdanforth3744]

The way I heard it, both Donald Healey and George Mason, president of Nash Motors, were camera enthusiasts. Both happened to cross from England to New York on the same ocean liner and struck up a conversation over Mason's new 8mm movie camera. Only then did they find out both were in the auto business. Healey said he was going to Detroit to negotiate a supply of Cadillac engines for his sports cars, and Healey invited him to come to Kenosha and see the Nash operation. Cadillac couldn't supply Healey with motors so he turned to Nash and made a deal not only for Nash OHV six cylinder engines, but to make a special model of Nash Healey to be sold by Nash dealers. Healey was impressed with the Nash seven main bearing engine especially when one finished in the money at LeMans against the world's best sports cars, not bad for a sedan power plant that cost less than 100 pounds.

[@ivanleterror9158]

As a mechanic in LA in the 60s & 70s I worked on many of the "foreign cars" as people called them. That's when we got introduced to the metric system for tolls and such.

[@richardcovello5367]

That's the 1st YT ad I wanted to watch to the end! Great visuals, and perfectly delivered commentary!

[@Deadsphere]

Fun fact about Crosley: The company was started by Cincinnati businessman Powell Crosley, whose other company (also called Crosley) made radios and other household appliances (they're mostly known for their radios however). One of the rules Powell had for his cars is that he wanted to sell them alongside his radios, and as such, every Crosley had to fit in the front door of every Crosley showroom. They were built in a factory along Spring Grove/Dalton Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio, and initially began production in the late 1930s/early 1940s. They were popular during the war, but after it ended, Americans had more money for larger vehicles. Rather than go with the times, Crosley kept making their smaller cars, and eventually returned to making household appliances in the mid-1950s.

[@MichaelOKeefe2009]

I really love that the sponsor portion is related to the video itself. Gotta love Ed's Auto Reviews.

[@SonnyGTA]

I love this friggin’ channel!!

[@richsackett3423]

Missed any mention of the Studebaker (Golden) Hawk. They musta sold a bunch because they were all over fields and barnyeards in the mid 80s. Very good car for the money and quite attractive.

[@Donald_Shaw]

You posted another wonderful video, Ed. Thanks so much and keep these car videos coming our way.

[@danielc3472]

Love your content! Glad you have a sponsor

[@montecorbit8280]

At 1:49 Luxury sports cars.... Duesenberg. An earlier example, that was really famous at the time, but has lost some recognition since then, was Stutz. Their "Bearcat" was considered highly luxurious, and one of the fastest cars in the United States, all before World war I

[@Dozeji]

> uses "whacky racer" soundtrack for the add > Italy is a boot I had no idea what I signed up for, and I love it

[@drakefallentine8351]

Say what you will about Muntz, but he was one of, if not the first, to introduce the 4 track stereo cartridge tape player (@11:00) to the American market. The 8 track was soon to follow which doubled the music content per cartridge. AM car radios were everywhere, but mono only...no STEREO until tape arrived.

[@brianmuhlingBUM]

Love your humorous narration. This was your best yet.

[@donf3877]

THANK YOU!!! I have always wondered what the hell car David Larrabee (William Holden,) in the movie "Sabrina", was driving... a 1952 Nash-Healey!!! I wonder if Nash paid the producer or studio, like they do in more modern times, to have it so prominently displayed in the movie. Of course, I also wondered how they managed to stop the Nash-Healey, when David saw Sabrina at the train station, with a close-up of "Goodyear" exactly at the top of the tire... a perfect advertisement for the tire company......................................

[@markbanash921]

Muntz was also a self taught engineer whose legacy survives in the eponymous term "Muntzing," which means to cut out parts until a system no longer works.

[@johnhiggs325]

How did that go, again? “Aluminiumnumnum?” 🤣

[@natesteiner5460]

Buy her a Kaiser, you'll surprise her. Buy her a Frazer, you'll amaze her. But her a Tucker...

[@jamesslick4790]

GIven its cost, the "Hot Shot" was one hell of a sports car! I'd have bought one if was around at the time.👍👍

[@seed_drill7135]

They'd go 75 stock and could be easily modded to hit 90. The engine was extremely high revving for the day and continued in production for boats and small displacement racing long after Crosley ceased production.

[@craigmclean8260]

@@seed_drill7135 Yep; they were a staple in the 44 cu. inch inboard hydroplanes; the engine was last produced as a 55 HP Fisher-Pierce Bearcat outboard motor, last produced in 1972 (started out as the "Fageol 44"--designed by famed Unlimited Hydro racer, Lou Fageol; then as the Crofton, then--most successfully--as the Homelite "55")!

[@callmedyck]

As always some amazing content from our friend Ed. The Curtis looked pretty nice but it's sad to see how many car manufacturers went under during the 50s.

[@rtchow3000]

hey Ed, i saw the old icon F 100 super Sabre fighter, parked next to the Corvette. i worked on this fighter back in Viet Nam era. I was stationed at Luke AFB, AZ in 1967 to 1968. Great photo shot on this fighter in the silver scheme.

[@rtchow3000]

i was wrong, it was the Ford Thunderbird driving by the two F-100 fighters

[@pablorey9203]

16:14 to Argentina, to be more precise

[@I-Libertine]

"What if I told you that...people drove boring, everyday sedans?" You mean, like, since the 1990's?

[@paulkosoff8851]

in late 40s and 50s actually convertibles were quite popular, although sold in lesser numbers than cheap sedans.

[@jamesslick4790]

Like Muntz, Crosley also began as a radio (and refrigerator!) manufacturer.

[@twalatka]

My parents owned a Nash. My Mom said she had to stradle the hole in the floor pan. When I came into the picture, they had a Bug. I truly loved that Bug. Wish I had a picture of the Nash they owned.

[@joermnyc]

Well Nash will be forever remembered thanks to the song “Beep Beep”, though it’s a Rambler in the song, not the Healey (which makes it even funnier).

[@McBeamer94]

I first learned about the Kurtis Sport Car when I saw a couple of unrecognizable Matchbox mini toy cars in my local supermarket, a couple of months ago. They looked perfectly intact from the transportation so I grabbed'em both (they're both Cherry Red with a Caramel interior and have the typical great looking "Dart 🎯" wheels of the classic Matchbox cars produced today). I saw the Yellow Kurtis Sport Car in the thumbnail and instantly recognised it as a car, although it has the Muntz front end design (which I don't find as beautiful as the Kurtis one and which it made me curious about the Muntz part of its history because I didn't know of it). Man, it looks amazing. Low-slung, simple, elegant, pretty much a Euro-inspired American design (I can actually see some inspiration for the Citroen DS21 in the shape of its rear end - before even the DS21 came out, in a few words). In fact it looks so amazing that it could very well have been the C1 Corvette in the place of the C1 Corvette (and the C1 already is a great looking car). I mean, the Kurtis Sport Car already had a V8 before the C1 Corvette did (the C1 had the 3.8 Blue-Flame Inline-6, it didn't get the Small Block V8 until it reached in its first redesign, in 1955). This car is a lost gem. It's a real shame it never got any more publicity.

[@Mark-zu6oz]

Love how you depict Italy as an actual boot! LOL

[@andrewhatez7955]

No wonder the Corvette continued where others failed; that red beauty is a great looking automobile without a doubt--after owning a '66 327, '68 350, and a '78 25th...I remain amazed and in awe of this American sports car.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Another great sports car history video! Great topics and just the right length of time.

[@toby319]

It's good that they put the 7.3L in the cobra because I always thought the 7.0L was a bit anaemic and weak

[@BIGBADWOOD]

The Crosley Hotshot was the first production sports car built in the United States, beginning in 1949. Advanced for the time, with an overhead cam engine and 4-wheel disc brakes, they sold well despite being tiny by American standards - about the size of a Bugeye Sprite. During its four-year run, Crosley built Hotshots--as well as the Super Hotshot, Super Sports and Super Sport During its four-year run, Crosley built 2,498 Hotshots--as well as the Super Hotshot, Super Sports and Super Sport

[@willcrockett6707]

Great job, Ed! This is one of your best videos.

[@Bazzemboi]

5:02, lol parts like this rly make your channel better than other ones. Keep it up.

[@benandemmasmom]

In the 1960's my father had a Jaguar XKE, Triumph Spitfire, and an MG something. The family car was always a Ford (his cousin had a dealership). We had the best music then too.

[@nathanjoseph4284]

I love the chime at the beginning of the video!

[@JMD29896]

The way you said aluminium is priceless 😂

[@p.munster9209]

Yeh Ed, Aluminumemen paniels on this ..... firts amerian sportcar, well it is what it is. It is an creation that only a mother would like. Ed what you do is great i like it very much. It bring so much more history and perspective. It is more than the car history, It is history. Thank you for this.

[@xaenon]

Earl 'Mad Man' Muntz. He later adopted the Fidelipac tape cartridge (used by radio stations), turning it into the Muntz Stereo-Pak tape cartridge, also known as the four-track. This would be the first successful effort at a system to play pre-recorded music in your car - and in STEREO, no less! Stereo-Pak was the technical ancestor of the Lear Stereo-8 tape cartridge (aka '8-track').

[@mescko]

Color me impressed. Not many know that history.

[@xaenon]

@@mescko I'm something of a geek about obsolete music formats. It's remarkable how many different applications used some variation of the endless-loop tape cartridge

[@mescko]

@@xaenon I've got a cassette deck collection and a couple of R-t-R's, never got into any of endless-loop formats.

[@xaenon]

@@mescko I know that 8-Track and other endless-loop formats get a bad rap, and I'll even concede that they were definitely flawed. It's just important to remember that they were never aimed at 'high fidelity'. They were aimed (for consumers, anyway) at ease of use and the ability to listen to your own music in the car, where the alternative was usually AM static... or nothing at all. FM was a rare option when the 8-Track came to market, and the cassette was still needed a lot of improvement before it would sound good. This all changed in the 1970s, when they developed better tape formulations and noise reduction for cassette, and FM became more common in cars. But by then, the 8-Track was entrenched, and a lot of people had substantial collections, so it ground on into the 80s, by which time 8-track was sinkin fast.

[@ronaldjohnson1474]

Not entirely an American product, the 2-seater Nash Metropolitan should fit into this scenario - early to mid-1950's.

[@dano4700]

Would love for Ed to do a whole video on the Nash Metropolitan. 👍

[@chaosdemonwolf1]

The Nash Healey was the first American sports car. Not the Corvette by a long shot.

[@ivanleterror9158]

The Metropolitan was a domestic body with what could be considered MG running gear for the most.

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

@@chaosdemonwolf1 not even close, unless you mean the Nash Rambler in 1900. The Chysler Thunderbolt was a middle sized automobiles with about 100 made or so, and had ascess of 130 miles per hour, named after the George Eyestones automobile that he had hit a land speed record of in 1938, of 130 miles per hour. I'm kidding, 357 miles per hour. The 130 mile per hour was hit in 1905 by an eligible roadster that hardly even has a name, but notable footage and news of at the time long since forgotten to make the era seem slow and useless as most modernists happily try to make it. But even the Chysler Thunderbolt isn't even in the top 100 for 1930-1940, let alone top 1000 for the early 1900s, anything from winton motor to Pope tribune had a top speed of 60-80 miles per hour by 1902 to just about 1906, long before the dammed Model T thing that took people away from moral decency.

[@chaosdemonwolf1]

@@WitchKing-Of-Angmar Fair enough.

[@stevemchale6363]

EXCELLENT, I LOVE YOUR WORK AND I'M HAPPY I SUBSCRIBED

[@lorddrayvon1426]

To anyone wondering, the first sports car period was the British Vauxhall Prince Henry from 1914 since its focus was on speed and not just everyday use.

[@cratecruncher4974]

I'm a lifetime member of the two-seat sports car club. It's all I've ever owned. Coming of age in the '70s I didn't realize how good I had it. Old MG's, Triumphs, Alfas, Fiats, Porsches were cheap and everywhere. The Japanese RX-7, the 240Z were great value. There were page after page in the local classifieds making it a buyers market. It was a great time to be 16 with an after-school job! Since that period the interest in performance and swoopy styling has shrunk to the point even Porsche had to start making SUV's to survive. Those old Alfas and MG's are now trading at real money prices and Solstices are rising quickly. Electrification might revive an interest in cheap lightweight pocket rockets. Tesla has proven with ludicrous mode that jaw dropping drivetrain performance is fairly easy. Even easier is plugging it in and selling my valve shims collection.

[@lbaker3602001]

I remember my dad telling me that he had a friend when he was in the Navy during WW II had a car that had inline 12 cylinder fed by 4 four barrel carbs.

[@Larkinchance]

I went with my Uncle to the auto show in NYC, It was the year of the Chrysler turbine car. Not yet married, he bought a 300sl Mercedes Benz with gull wings doors. A year later he was married and his wife insisted,. "You are going to be a father soon, we something more practical." Maybe she knew it would attract competition. (girls) My Uncle sold it and bought a Mercedes sedan... (true story)

[@slicksnewonenow]

I never did see an original Kurtis "in the flesh", but I did get the rare opportunity to go for a short drive in a "modified" Muntz Jet once... It was Cadillac powered and pretty scary for it's time, I'm sure.

[@vinylrichiejr.2416]

Man i Love that you just took a very high boot as picture for Italy😄

[@mrdanforth3744]

The prototype of the Kurtis, later Muntz, was a one off build by Frank Kurtis for his own use from a wrecked Buick that he drove to the Indy 500 in 1941. After the war he made a few similar 2 seaters before selling the operation to Muntz. Muntz lengthened the car 14 inches to make it a 4 seater and built them with Cadillac OHV V8s or Lincoln flathead V8s, both with Hydramatic transmission.

[@brentmoore773]

My Dad was salesman of the year in 1952 for Nash corporation. Later on He almost sold a Nash Healy to William Holden who drove one in the movie ‘Sabrina’ (1954). He opted for a X120 instead. he was working a Nash La Brea at the time.

[@UtahPiper88]

Loved seeing the footage at the Bonneville Salt Flats, and seeing the video of the Utah Valley University’s El Camino. 👍🏽

[@BIGBADWOOD]

The Crosley Hotshot was the first production sports car built in the United States, beginning in 1949. Advanced for the time, with an overhead cam engine and 4-wheel disc brakes, they sold well despite being tiny by American standards - about the size of a Bugeye Sprite. During its four-year run, Crosley built Hotshots--as well as the Super Hotshot, Super Sports and Super Sport

[@edwinwise6751]

Lately I have noticed that the term “sports cars “ no longer includes all 2 seaters. There seems to be divisions…. Performance cars , high hp , vettes, Lamborghini, cobra and sports cars, like Miata,mg, triumph, lotus ,some jags that are not that fast but have great handling

[@waynefontaine5533]

Then came along the Ford Thunderbird, a sports car/personal luxury car that outsold the Junkvettes 20 - 1 in its first year of production....

[@whitsundaydreaming]

Great production! Super performance indeed!

[@davidwood1923]

Thanks for Sharing... Always Dood to be Informed.

[@nilssandifort7188]

Thanks again for another great episode!

[@allandoyle5733]

Finishing up with the Cobra was interesting. It started life as a British AC sports car which a Mr Shelby widened and added a US Ford V8 to replace the original engine. There were other similar products later such as the Sunbeam Tiger (Alpine + Ford V8) and MGB V8 (Buick engine).

[@cosmicHalArizona]

I had a Muntz 8 track deck in 1970. It sounded very good.

[@12pagani]

I've heard an argument for the 1913 stutz bearcat being America's first sports car a d I actually agree, it was built with light weight and a high powered engine first and foremost, it was basically a dressed up racer and that seems pretty sporty to me. Srutz built it for performance driving and as a halo car of sorts. But I usually consider the kurtis to be the first post war sports car. Lightweight with a v8, good looking, comfortable for American standards and it had some decent sales numbers for a new car despite its commercial failure (including the muntz jet versions)

[@shadowblade9385]

I had no idea of the existence of the Kurtis car until I found a new Matchbox version of it at a store about a month ago.

[@tbmike23]

The Stutz Bearcat was probably the first American sports car. A lot of luxury Marques like Duesenburg and Packard would also put their biggest engine in their lightest roadster in the 20s, they could qualify.

[@fredherfst8148]

🇨🇦That was fun…. Dank je wel, Ed

[@channingwalmsley9738]

How far would you say the Studebaker in 53 with the loewy designed body falls from these? It might have been a hard top but it was much smaller then general American cars I believe, and it had very European stylings

[@oscarmapalad2053]

Channing walmley ...If Studebaker is not American car what country manufacture it because during my childhood that car was very familiar to my ears but I don't saw how it looks exactly.

[@BarryTsGarage]

Excellent Ed! Thanks for mentioning the Cobra at the end. I’m working on a modest series about those right now! Cheers

[@garrisonnichols807]

The truth is the American car industry wasn't slow to get into the sports car market. It's just most sports cars were way too expensive for most buyers but that didn't stop people from building their own with the Hot Rod culture. Taking cars like the 30s Ford V8 roadster and making it go faster for cheap became a big part of the automotive landscape here in the US.

[@rexmundi3108]

7:48 I love how you dodged the UK vs USA pronunciation there. From now on I shall use your version. (edit) Wait, is that the Dutch pronunciation? Ahhh.

[@e28forever30]

The Dutch (and Belgians) use the UK pronunciation.

[@fredherfst8148]

His aluminuminum made me smile…aluminium indeed ..pshaw…

[@mescko]

Guess where the word 'aluminum' came from? Take a guess.

[@stephenbrookes7268]

This series is one of the most well researched and honest (warts and all) docs of the true cross fertilisation, that is still present in motorsport til this day, between USA and England. I am intrigued that the same due diligence is not applied in the embedded advert. Where there is the chance to win the classic "American" sports car. An AC Cobra. Whilst any fan of motor sports, or respecter of the engineering profession would not dream of overlooking the input of greats like, Jim Hall or Carroll Shelby in motorsports. It is also a crime against all car guys to deny that the Cobra is as much part of the heart muscle of every English petrol head, as it is American. They were actually built here in England, and then shipped to California to be breathed on by Hephaestus, in the earthly guise Carroll Shelby with a not inconsiderable input from fellow engineering deity, Ken Miles, who donated his life in testing English/American sports cars. It is very unfair to talk about the successes of the softly spoken but big stick carrying Texan, without mentioning the brash Brummie whose hands so often turned the wrenches, as well as the steering wheels of those successes. Please also remember Ken!

[@jeramiemaddox1974]

I'm so glad I've found your channel

[@BradThePitts]

Another interesting video would be how the definition of "sports car" changed from a small, 2-door convertible to any car that is fast - even if it has 4 doors and an automatic transmission.

[@mescko]

Indeed it would. I wonder how many of us are left that still cling to the traditional definition of 'sports car'.

[@BradThePitts]

@@mescko I certainly hang to the traditional definition of "sports car" - as a true sports car has a level of impracticality in exchange for sportiness. A major change in what's currently considered a sports car was the early 90's Nissan Maxima which sported a 4DSC logo - "4-Door-Sports-Car." This car was relatively fast for the time and also handled well but if you can throw the kids on the back I'd argue it's a family sedan and not a sports car. Another change was James Bond's 4-door BMW 750iL in the 1997 film, "Tomorrow Never Dies ". So much for the British Roadsters, often itself a star of the movies. I look forward to Bond's next film where he drives an 11-second minivan.

[@splatterhead9663]

I toured a car museum decades ago in Murdo, South Dakota. Very few complete cars and a lot of salvaged rust. I wonder if that place is still open.

[@wadeguidry6675]

I saw one of those sliding door cars at a fair in Colorado once and I forgot all about it until now. It was cool.