After World War II, hot rodding really started to take off. There was this pent-up urge to create custom cars, and many returning GI’s found themselves quite taken with the small European sports cars they came across during the war. Frank Kurtis was one of these hot rodders, and he made some of the most famous roadsters ever seen in America. These are true, rare classics, not a car you’ll see at just any Sunday auto show.

One of Curtis’s creations, a 1962 Aguila Roadster Convertible, has made its way to Hemmings, where it is listed for sale.

The Aguila, which means “Eagle” in Spanish, is the result of collaboration between Kurtis, motorcycle rider Herb Stelter decided to transition from two wheels to four. Along with Stelter’s mechanic, Dale Burt, the three men came up with the Aguila. Based on a converted Indy car chassis, the Anguila was designed to compete in both the new SCCA Formula 366 Monoposto class. When fitted with a set of Dzus-mounted fenders, it could also compete as a Sports Racer.

Powering this super-light aluminum racer was a hopped up Chevy 327 small-block engine. A four-speed transmission backs the small-block Chevy, and the car is equipped with a solid rear axle and sporty suspension. What makes this car even more special though is that it is the last race car Frank Kurtis ever built. In 1962, he sold off his company and retired, living another 25 years before passing away in 1987. Truly a rare and important piece of hot rod history.