In 1938, Rust Heinz wanted to create his own car. Rust Heinz was the second son of the wealthy H.J. Heinz of the Heinz ketchup empire. A graduate of Yale University with a major in naval architecture, Rust Heinz had already designed sleek, revolutionary motorboats. By the late 1930s, the man born in 1914 was certain he had the vision for the first American supercar capable of seating up to six people.
Rust Heinz (of the H. J. Heinz family), a Yale dropout who didn't want to be involved in the family business. In 1936, the 22-year-old Heinz purchased a new Cord 810/812, which served as the basis for what would become the Phantom Corsair. He contacted coachbuilder Bohman & Schwartz of Pasadena to realize his dream, and work then began based on Heinz's own sketches.
The sleek aluminum fastback body was brought to life in the wind tunnel and significantly widened to accommodate the fully wrapped wheels, which gave it a sleek appearance. Every aluminum panel of the aerodynamic bodywork was handcrafted, and the headlights were custom-designed for the car. In addition, the telescopic supports for the chrome fenders also had to be developed from scratch.
The interior was also quite unique, capable of seating six in a 4+2 configuration and even featuring automatic push-button doors and green-tinted windows. The dashboard housed a series of buttons and knobs with an aeronautical theme and was designed to reduce the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Weighing over 4,600 pounds (2,086 kilograms), the Phantom Corsair had the same 4.7-liter V8 engine as the Cord 810/812. However, it was upgraded from the standard 125 hp to 190 horsepower delivered to the front axle through a four-speed automatic gearbox. At the time, the car managed to reach 115 mph (185 km/h), which was a performance for the late 1930s.
However, the car was far from perfect from a mechanical standpoint. For example, the small front louvers limited engine cooling, which is why the 4.7-liter engine tended to overheat quite quickly. While it looked very cool, the split windshield didn't offer great visibility, and the same was true of the rear window.
It is believed that Rust Heinz spent over $24,000 to realize his dream and actually wanted to launch a production version with a target starting price of nearly $15,000. He advertised the car to spread the word and acquired a full-page ad in Esquire. Additionally, the car appeared in David O. Selznick's film "The Young at Heart" and was also promoted as "The Car of Tomorrow" at the 1939 World's Fair.
Sadly, Heinz died in a car accident at the age of 25, and the Phantom Corsair remained a one-off. In the 1950s, comedian Herb Shriner purchased the car from the Heinz family and commissioned BMW 507 designer Albrecht Goertz to make some changes. The front fascia was modified to improve engine cooling, while the windshield was also changed to increase visibility. Additionally, the roof received two Targa-shaped panels.
Later, casino magnate William Harrah purchased the Phantom Corsair and restored it to its former glory. Since then, the one-of-a-kind car has appeared at various automotive events, including the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Today, the car can be viewed at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada.
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