Madman Muntz

Earl William "Madman" Muntz (January 3, 1914 – June 21, 1987) was an American businessman and engineer who sold and promoted cars and consumer electronics in the United States from the 1930s until his death in 1987.

He was a pioneer in television commercials with his oddball "Madman" persona; an alter ego who generated publicity with his unusual costumes, stunts, and outrageous claims.

Muntz also pioneered car stereos by creating the Muntz Stereo-Pak, better known as the 4-track cartridge, a predecessor to the 8-track cartridge developed by Lear Industries.

He invented the practice that came to be known as Muntzing, which involved simplifying otherwise complicated electronic devices.

Muntz produced and marketed the first black-and-white television receivers to sell for less than $100, and created one of the earliest functional widescreen projection TVs.

He was credited with coining the abbreviation "TV" for television, although the term had earlier been in use in call letters for stations such as WCBS-TV.

A high school dropout, Muntz made fortunes by selling automobiles, TV receivers, and car stereos and tapes.

In 1934, Muntz opened his first used car lot, in Elgin, with a $500 ($0 in ) line of credit.

He was only 20 years old, and his mother had to sign the car-sale papers because legally he was too young to close his own deals.

During a vacation in California, Muntz discovered that used cars sold there for far higher prices, so he moved to California in 1940 at age 26 to open a used car lot in Glendale.

On a hunch, he purchased 13 brand-new right-hand-drive vehicles to resell.

These vehicles had been built for customers in Asia, but could not be delivered due to World War II.

One vehicle was a custom-made Lincoln built for Chiang Kai-shek.

Local newspapers ran stories about the unusual cars, and Muntz sold them all within two weeks, still in their original shipping crates.

Muntz soon opened a second lot in Los Angeles and closed his lot in Elgin.

Muntz rejected the then-common opinion that used car salesmen should project a staid image.

He realized the possibilities of generating publicity with odd stunts, and developed a "Madman" persona as a result.

His flamboyant billboards and oddball television and radio commercials soon made him famous.

In his used auto commercials, he marketed one model as the "daily special"; Muntz claimed that if the car did not sell that day, he would smash it to pieces on camera with a sledgehammer.

Another notorious Muntz used-car TV pitch was "I buy 'em retail and sell 'em wholesale ... it's more fun that way!"

His commercials generated so much publicity that comedians such as Bob Hope, Jack Benny, and Steve Allen often tried to outdo each other during television appearances by telling "Madman" Muntz jokes.

University of Southern California fans would spell out Muntz's name during halftime as a prank.

During the war, the Office of Price Administration sought to suspend Muntz' license to sell automobiles subject to price control.

On August 1, 1945, Muntz was acquitted of an O.P.A. charge of violating used car regulations by Superior Judge Reuben H. Schmidt in Los Angeles.

Muntz's car lots became tourist attractions due to the widespread publicity from his television commercial appearances.

A 1946 survey by Panner Motor Tours revealed that they ranked seventh among tourist attractions in Southern California.

Muntz was willing to take large risks in his attempts to generate publicity.

During the era of McCarthyism, he asked one of his advisers, "Do you think I'd make the front pages if I joined the Communist Party?"

In 1948, race car designer and Kurtis-Kraft founder Frank Kurtis attempted to market a new sports car, the two-seater Kurtis Kraft Sport.

Only 36 units had been sold by 1950.

The car was manufactured between 1951 and 1953, although fewer than 400 were produced.

Muntz married seven times.

His wives included actress Joan Barton (who appeared in Angel and the Badman with John Wayne) and Patricia Stevens of the Patricia Stevens finishing schools.

Phyllis Diller was among his many girlfriends.

He was friends with celebrities such as singer Rudy Vallee, comedian Jerry Colonna, actor Bert Lahr, television presenter Dick Clark, and cowboy actor Gene Autry.

Muntz was fascinated by electronics from an early age.

He built his first radio at age 8 and built another for his parents' car at age 14.

During the Great Depression, at age 15, he dropped out of Elgin High School to work in his parents' hardware store in Elgin, Illinois.

A 1968 Los Angeles Times article noted that in one year he sold $72 million worth of cars; five years later he sold $55 million worth of TV receivers, and in 1967 he sold $30 million worth of car stereos and tapes.

After his success as a used car salesman and with Kaiser-Frazer dealerships in Los Angeles and New York City, Muntz founded the Muntz Car Company, which made the "Muntz Jet", a sports car with jet-like contours.