[1][2] Muntz, who was born in 1914 and attended Elgin High School for three semesters before dropping out,[3] had established a prominent reputation selling television sets and other commercial and consumer electronics.

[1] Compared to its Kurtis predecessor, the Jet was heavier but also more agile and capable of a higher top speed, due to its lower drive ratio.

[12][20] Some of these appointments included an all-leather "tuck-and-roll" interior,[6] racing-style Stewart-Warner gauges,[21] and a center console with a Muntz radio.

[3] The Jet was equipped with safety features that were not standard on most cars of its day, including a padded dashboard and seat belts.

[1][16][22] The near cross-country move was necessitated by difficulties related to materials and transportation that plagued the original plant in Glendale.

[18] In approximately 1952, the company moved plants again, to 2901 North Sheffield Avenue in Chicago's Lake View neighborhood.

[14] That year, Muntz planned to sell the car out of factory-run showrooms in Houston, Los Angeles, and New York City.

[13][16] Famous owners of the Jet included Clara Bow, Vic Damone, Grace Kelly, Alfred "Lash" LaRue, and Mickey Rooney.

[12][15][21] Six Jets were fitted with a factory-installed "hop up" kit that included an Edelbrock aluminum intake and twin double-barreled Stromberg carburetors.

[4] Muntz Car Company welding chief Peter Condos claimed that two Jets were built with 331-cubic-inch (5,420 cc) Chrysler FirePower V8 engines.

[1][15][21] Writing in 1951, Norman Nicholson noted a production Muntz Jet had an official top speed of 112 mph (180 km/h).

[16] In the assessment of Autoweek writer Graham Kozak, while the Jet "lacks the cachet of the Tucker...it stands on its own as a well-conceived, well-executed luxury convertible".

[9] In 1969, Muntz claimed that the 1958 Ford Thunderbird was inspired by the Jet, and quipped that "I was eight years ahead of my time" with his car.

[25] In 2000, Daily Herald journalist Jerry Turnquist called it "America's first, high performance, four-seat sports car".