1954 Kurtis 500S Roadster to Go Under the Hammer

The forthcoming event at Amelia Island on March 12 will feature the sale of one of 24 up-rated Kurtis 500S roadsters built by Arlen Kurtis, RM Auctions revealed. The vehicle in question is from the Brock Yates Collection and shows only 628 miles on the odometer.

As compared to the 500S kit developed by Arlen’s father, Frank Kurtis, the car remains true to the original design, with a tube frame, torsion bar suspension on solid axles, Halibrand-pattern wheels and disc brakes all round.

Technical wise, the car comes fitted with a 380 hp, 400 cu. in. (6.5l) Chevrolet OHV V-8, three two-barrel carburetors, four-speed transmission, solid axles front and rear with torsion bar suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes.

With a weight of only 1,820 pounds (825kg), this combination gives a 0-60 time of under five seconds, with 0-100 mph in the region of 20 seconds and a top speed approaching 140 mph (225 km/h). “This Kurtis 500S is effectively new and even faster than the original,” RM Auctions says.

There are some changes. The body now has a fiberglass hood and tail section, with steel doors and front fenders and an aluminum cowl and trunk. The 500S dashboard sports a complete set of Stewart Warner gauges, and the interior is upholstered in black leather. Though this car has seatbelts, in keeping with its period style, it lacks a “bed frame” roll cage.

“In the early 1950s Frank Kurtis dominated the Indy 500. His creative engineering had spread across the country through his dirt-track sprint cars, and it was breeding a new generation of American drivers, who would go on to SCCA, Indianapolis, Nascar and Formula 1,” a statement from RM Auctions reads.