1954 Kurtis 500KK SR-100Chassis no. MKK55

1954 Kurtis 500KK SR-100Coachwork by ByersChassis no. MKK55
291ci OHV DeSoto 'Firedome' Hemi V8 (see text)Dual 2-Barrel Carter Carburetors275bhp at 5,800rpm (est.)4-Speed Manual Transmission4-Wheel Kurtis Torsion Bar Suspension4-Wheel Drum Brakes*Bodied by the great Jim Byers*Shown on the lawns of both the Pebble Beach and Amelia Concours*A fast and capable racer and tour car*Featured extensively in period Byers' literatureTHE KURTIS 500Frank 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 cars 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.While building weapons for the track, Kurtis also worked to produce sports cars. Beginning in 1947 with the Kurtis-Omohundro—often considered the first post-WWII American sports-car—he quickly took the formula that was providing such great success in Indianapolis and applied it to street cars. His Allard-like 500S racer, which was based on his Indy car's architecture, found great success on the track at the hands of Bill Stoppe and others. The 500KK that followed was ostensibly a kit-car version of the 500S that gave the owner the opportunity to choose his/her own bodywork and engine. Costing between $395 and $1300 depending on the degree of factory completion, the 500KK would go on to great success both on and off the track.THE MOTORCAR OFFEREDWhile 500KKs were clothed in a variety of bodies, the SR-100 bodywork is widely considered among the prettiest and best made. Inspired by the coachwork of Vignale and created by renowned fiberglass wünderkinds Dick Jones and Jim Byers, the SR-100 debuted in 1953 at the Los Angeles Motorama as the Meteor SR-100 (with the "100" derived length, in inches, of the wheelbase). Shortly after the show, Jones moved to Colorado and Byers remained in California. Byers improved the look of the SR-100 bodywork and relaunched the body under his own name. Road & Track would go on to feature one such car on the cover of its February 1957 issue with the immodest headline, "The Byers Special—world's most beautiful sports car?"The Byers body found its way onto rather pedestrian Ford chassis, but it was most capable when atop a Kurtis chassis. Steve Salem of Manhattan Beach, California wanted the best of the best when he put together this 500KK in the mid-1950s. Adapting an early Byer's body to fit on the 90" wheelbase of the Kurtis's frame (the earliest Byer SR-100s were in fact built for 90" wheelbases), he installed a modified 320ci GMC inline-six to power his beast. Intended for the 1954 running of the Carrera Pan American but not finished in time for the event, the Kurtis found fame as a featured car in the 1958 Petersen Publishing Trend Book, Sportscar Specials. The pictures featured were so admired by Jim Byers that he would use them in his own literature and press releases to promote his machines.After racing on the West Coast from 1955-1962, the car made its way to Texas in the late 1970s where it was discovered by the seller in the late 1980s. Found in sound shape but fitted with a more modern drivetrain, the Kurtis was torn down and restored back to its former glory. Consulting with Mr. Salem, the first owner, the Kurtis was fitted with a period-correct, modified DeSoto Firedome Hemi V8, replica Halibrand knock-offs built by P.S. Engineering, and a slick paintjob by custom car painted Zig Ebel done in the style of the Carrera Pan American car it was original built to be. Debuting at the 1992 Monterey Historics, it would be shown on the lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance the next year—where it was reunited with its original owner for the first time in three decades—and continue to appear and successfully compete at the Monterey Historics (and later Reunion) as well as other vintage races for another two decades. Re-restored in 2006, the Kurtis again took to the concours lawn at the 2011 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance as part of a class of Kurtis road and race cars.Offered today as a capable entry into any number of vintage races, it is also eligible for highly sought-after tour events such as the Colorado Grand, California Mille, Copperstate 1000, and Going to the Sun events.