At a time when innovation is more limited in the automotive sector, which has to adapt to many regulations, it is appreciated to see models from the past such as the Phantom Corsair. We are probably dealing with the most futuristic car of the 1930s, with a prototype that never made it to production, but that stood out for its personality. Only a single unit was madeso we are dealing with a unicorn that died along with its creator when the project was starting.
It is a two-door designed by Rust Heinz and Maurice Schwartz, the first for the family that runs the food company and the second for a small Californian car manufacturer. In 1938 they presented this example of a futuristic and aerodynamic cut, which stood out for its fluid lines or for having faired wheels. The Phantom Corsair was a true mastodon that reached up to the 6 meters long and that it weighed two tons, although it was loaded with novelties.
Seeking maximum aerodynamic efficiency, he dispensed with the mirrors and also the door handles, which They were opened with electric pushbuttons. (1930s, remember). Inside, the level of innovation was also surprising, since the instrument panel integrated a compass, an altimeter and had indicators to indicate if the doors were open or the lights were on. It does not go unnoticed six seater configurationallowing four passengers to be carried in the front row (one to the left of the driver) and only two in the rear row.
The Phantom Corsair was based on what was considered the most advanced chassis of the time in the United States, the Cord 810. Its engine was also a black leg, as it mounted a Lycoming 4.7-litre V8 that delivered its 125 CV of power (later increased to 190 CV) to the front wheels. Despite its weight, this specimen was capable of reaching a top speed 185 km/hbecause its aerodynamics helped a lot.
The point is that the production costs were very high and making a Phantom Corsair cost its creators around $24,000 at the time (the equivalent of $370,000 today). And yet, they wanted to make a limited production of the model and sell it for $12,500. It could never come true, as Heinz would die in a car accident in 1939 and with him the hopes of the Corsair were gone.
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