Shown publicly for the first time in 1938 the infamous Phantom Corsair was an absolute marvel of futuristic automotive design.
Rust Heinz, heir to the Heinz Ketchup company, and Maurice Schwartz of Bohman and Schwartz coach building company were the designers behind this almighty concept car. The design was one of a kind and reflected an amazing model, but proved to be far too futuristic for the time. Thus making the Phantom only ever a prototype model.
About The 1938 Phantom Corsair:
Weighing close to 2070 kilograms, the vehicle’s body panels were made out of hand-beaten aluminium and fitted over a tubular frame. It featured extremely small windows, a unique set of headlights, a louvered nose, fully skirted wheels and a lack of running boards.
The car doors opened at the touch of a button and small panels above the side windows popped up to make the process easier. Designer, Heinz, chose the most advanced chassis available in the US at the time, the Cord 810, making the car large enough to fit six individuals inside.
The car comes equipped with a powerful front wheel drive, a v8 engine and an electronically operated four speed gearbox. This incredible and iconic vehicle is said to reach up to 185 kilometres per hour.
The Phantom Corsair was intended to be a limited edition model and sell at a the US price of $12,500 USD, however Heinz’ death ended this ever so desirable dream. The one-off Phantom Corsair now calls the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada, home.
To learn more on the Phantom Corsair visit the National Automobile Museum’s website: https://automuseum.org
