In 1938, Rust Heinz, of the Heinz ketchup dynasty, set out to build the car of the future. He envisioned building a car that would capture the imagination of the public and push the boundaries of what was technically and stylistically possible in the late 1930s. The Phantom Corsair embodied his vision, featuring a streamlined, aerodynamic body with no running boards and integrated fenders providing a stark contrast to other cars of the day.
The interior of the car was just as innovative, with a dashboard that included a compass and altimeter, and it was designed to comfortably seat six people, despite its sleek exterior.
What makes the Phantom Corsair so rare is that only one prototype was ever built. The car was intended for production, but the untimely death of Rust Heinz in 1939, coupled with the high cost of the vehicle, meant that the Phantom Corsair never went into mass production. Today, the lone Phantom Corsair is a prized exhibit at the National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection) in Reno, Nevada.
...bob