Kurtis Kraft

Kurtis Kraft was a designer and builder of race cars. The company was founded by Frank Kurtis. Kurtis Kraft designed and built midget cars, quartermidgets, sports cars, sprint cars and Champ Cars.

Kurtis Kraft emblem.

Kurtis Kraft was started when Kurtis built his own midget car chassis in the late 1930s.

Kurtis built some very low glass-fibre bodied two-seaters sports cars under his own name in Glendale, California between 1949 and 1955. Ford (US) running gear was used. About 36 cars had been made when the licence was sold to Madman Muntz who built the Muntz Jet. In 1954 and 1955, road versions of their Indianapolis racers were offered.

Kurtis-Kraft created over 550 ready-to-run midget cars, and 600 kits and 120 Indianapolis 500 cars, including five winners.

Kurtis sold the midget car portion of the business to Johnny Pawl in the late 1950s, and the quarter midget business to Ralph Potter in 1962.

(text source: Wikipedia)

The Kurtis 500 Body was one of the earliest versions of the Kurtis Roadster built by the Kurtis company. This photo shows a 1958 Kurtis 500, with Frank and Arlen Kurtis standing alongside. (Photo courtesy of Darryl Clarke, via Vintage Quarter Midget)

Kurtis-Kraft racing and sports cars sign. (available at Fill Er Up)

Kurtis Kraft T-Shirt available at Cool Car Shirts.

Kurtis Kraft decal.

1953 Chrysler-powered Kurtis 500s.

Mike Ferguson1048 days ago

Ive got what i believe to be a Kurtis-Kraft midget racer.My father raced it when he was 12 or 13 back in the 50s.I got the car when my grandfather died,my father has passed away too.So no one in my family knows much about it. I do know it has a modified Continintal engine that ran on air-plane fuel.The rear fiberglass cowling has been cut to fit the larger engine,you can tell this is not the one that came in it.The body is fiberglass,with a hood that lifts to the left side.A steering wheel that lifts up and down, hydraulic brakes,torsion bar rear suspension,chain drive. If you have any info on this little car, or how much something like this is worth,please let me know.
Thank You Very Much
Mike

bill890 days ago

I believe that the car you are describing was originally called an "offyette" They had a piano hinge down one side of the hood to assist in getting bigger kids into the tight cockpit. and they had a small/narrow metal grille. I think that some of them had a phony exaust pipe that came out of the hood and ran down the side past the rear wheels. All of the Kurtis cars that I know of had a one piece fixed hood/cowl assembly that extended back to the upright for the rollbar at the seat back. Of course, someone may have modified the Kurtis

Gary Taylor794 days ago

In the late 1950's I had the good luck to drive a Go Kart that had a full suspension via torsion bars and friction shocks. It was said to be a Kurtis Kraft product. Could it have been something like the above racer but without a body?

MIKE HUNTINGTON NY502 days ago

IM A ORIGNAL OWNER OR A OFFYETTE MIDGET GOT WHEN I WAS 14 IM NOW 62 MAY SELL CAUSE IM CONDENCING ALL MY LIFE LONG THINGS ANY SITES OR COULD YOU PUY ME IN A LITTLE SCOPE ON MATTERS NO I DONT NEED MONEY ALL BONE STOCK ORIGNAL W/ CONIIENTAL MOTOR ( GOT 4 MOTORS ) ANY HELP GREATLY APPRICATED EVEN HAVE ORIGNAL P/W 705.00 IN SHED /GARAGE ALMOST 50 TEARS THANKS IN ADVANCE OR MY CELL # AVAILBLE 516 318 8488

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