Lovers of beautiful cars, collectors or just curious, do you know that there is a car in the world that has only been produced in a single copy? Today, its rarity is worth gold.
This car is better to store in the garage to prevent it from ending up stolen; that said, there is little chance that it will contribute to the next statistics for the ranking of the most stolen vehicles since it only exists in a single copy and is not easily found on the street.
In fact, it is still the rarest luxury car in the world today. In 1938, a certain Rust Heinz developed an unusual vehicle. A futuristic and unique car which will only be produced in a single copy worldwide. It is therefore thanks to the rich Heinz family – at the head of the most famous ketchup company in the world – that this car saw the light of day in the United States. The grandson of American industrialist Henry John Heinz designed the car of his dreams and called on the famous designers of the time: Christian Bohman and Maurice Schwartz.
Black bodywork, bionic curves blending with art deco… Rust Heinz's studies in naval architecture at Yale University inspired his creation, which is reminiscent of the hull of a boat. Its long hood displays a strange resemblance to an amphibian, with these two large headlights, like large eyes. The vehicle has very small side windows and a tiny rear window. A dark car of 192 horsepower produced for the modest sum of 24,000 dollars and today estimated at 10 million dollars! This is the Phantom Corsair.
The car briefly saw the light: it landed a role in the film The worry-free family, by Richard Wallace, in 1938. The following year, it was presented at the New York International Fair of 1939-1940. But the tragic fate of its creator will quickly shake up everything. In 1939, Rust Heinz died at the age of 24 in a road accident in Pittsburgh, driving a convertible.
Read also
Following his disappearance, the millionaire's family sold the Phantom Corsair. It was then bought by Andy Granatelli, American businessman and former CEO of the STP company and Formula 1 enthusiast. The car would have several lives, belonging to several wealthy men, before retiring. It is now on display at the National Automobile Museum of Nevada. A jewel now admired by the general public.