Automotive engineer Frederick E. Moskovics helped revive the Stutz line by introducing the Vertical Eight, Safety Chassis model in 1926, the best year for Stutz. Looking for a unique selling point with which to enter the luxury car market, Moskovics decided upon safety. It produces 156 bhp and 300 lb ft of torque. Essentially a racer for the road, the original Bearcat had minimal bodywork and a mighty 390-cubic-inch four that produced 60 horsepowera lot of power for the day. Matchbox 1931 Stutz Bearcat 1974 Model of the Yesteryear Vintage Toy Car Lesney. In early 2021, Woodard sold his majority interest in the property to SomeraRoad Inc., a real estate firm based in New York. Stutz was known as a producer of fast cars including America's first sports car and, from 1924, luxury cars for the rich and famous. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Evel Knievel, Barry White, and Sammy Davis Jr. all owned Stutz cars. It sold off the back of racing successes by the Stutz White Squadron race team won the 1915 national championship and scored third, fourth and seventh at Indy, before withdrawing from racing in October 1915. Wire wheels were listed as a $125 option (equivalent to $3,113 in 2021[1]). The following year, a 4.9-liter (300in3) Stutz (entered and owned by wealthy French pilot and inventor Charles Weymann[3]) in the hands of by Robert Bloch and Edouard Brisson finished second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (losing to the 4.5-liter [270in3] Bentley of Rubin and Barnato,[4] despite losing top gear 90 minutes from the flag[5]), the best result for an American car until 1966. Free with trial. CLASSIC.COM is a trademark of CLASSIC.COM LLC. Production was limited and an estimated 617 cars were built during the company's first 25years of existence (19711995). For 1923, the roadster was renamed the Bearcat, but the name would again disappear in 1924. Chassis features include 3 speed transaxle, 130 . We're celebrating early sports cars this year at Old Car Festival. The 1921 series K featuring a new "DH" engine with a detachable head was introduced, but a switch to left-hand drive in the following KLDH (L for left) meant the end of the Bearcat, since its narrow front seat and cockpit did not leave room for centrally located gear and brake levers. Stutz commissioned an American coachbuilder named Charles Weymann to build the car which, with its 116 inch wheelbase, was a good two feet shorter than the standard models. Although the company is still in existence, sales of factory-produced vehicles ceased in 1995. Essentially, the Bearcats were a shorter (120" wheelbase vs 130"), lighter version of the standard Stutz passenger cars chassis. Contribute to this page by emailing us your suggestions. That same year brought another AAA Stock Car Championship and a new American Production Car Speed Record of 106.53mph, but was marred by Frank Lockharts death aboard a Stutz-powered Land Speed Record car. In August 1968, New York banker James O'Donnell raised funds and incorporated Stutz Motor Car of America. While it retained the 120-inch (300cm) wheelbase, its body now featured an enclosed cockpit with step-over sides. As one of the earliest true sports cars, the 1912-1916 Stutz Bearcat models have the highest value. The Stutz Motor Car of America's prototype of Exner's Stutz Blackhawk . The companys successes led to the building of a factory complex (1914-1920) at 1008 North Capitol Avenue. Sales began to wane in 1985, but continued until 1995. Ideal Motor Car Company, organized in June 1911 by Harry C. Stutz with his friend, Henry F Campbell, began building Stutz cars in Indianapolis in 1911. Elvis Presley bought the first Blackhawk in 1971, and later purchased three more. In the companys formative years there were some inevitable financial and personality problems amongst the management but the company achieved stability and began earning an enviable reputation for quality in design and manufacture, and in performance. His travels have taken him to Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan and a number of other countries. It has bright red paint on that Diamond Fiber Composite body, offset by a white Italian leather interior. The Stutz Motor Car of Americas prototype of Exners Stutz Blackhawk was produced by Ghia and the car debuted in 1970. Stutz commissioned an American coachbuilder named Charles Weymann to build the car which, with its 116 inch wheelbase, was a good two feet shorter than the standard models. This car has a fascinating history, as most Bearcats do, its ownership history has been traced back to 1952 when it was owned by Colonel Donald L. Bower, then stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. The BMW i8 Roadster two-seater with full electric convertible top that opens in under 16 seconds. Creditors were unable to agree on a plan for revival and in April 1939, the bankruptcy court ordered its liquidation.[8]. DV-32 stood for Dual-Valve 32; it has four valves for each cylinder for a total of 32. But parts for the neo-Stutz do turn up. Car customizer George Barris made two much more accurate replicas for the 1971 television series Bearcats!. Abarth. 1912 Stutz racer- Gil Anderson Illinois Chicago Historical Society. It is one of only three custom-built by George Barris. AC. Ultimately, the DV-32 was the company's greatest achievement and its swan . In 1914 came the Bearcat Speedster that was little more than a bonneted rolling chassis, with two leather-trimmed bucket seats, a transverse cylindrical fuel tank, monocle windscreen, portable trunk and a spare wheel and tyre. This two-passenger, 134.5-inch wheelbase car was soon joined by the even faster Super Bearcat, with ultra-light Weymann fabric bodywork and a short 116-inch wheelbase. A prototype of Exner's Stutz Blackhawk was produced by Ghia, and the car debuted in 1970. The production version of the Bear Cat, later renamed the Bearcat, was as close to the race car as they could reasonably get it. To find new investment capital for expansion Stutz Motor Car Company (of Indiana) was sold in 1916 to Stutz Motor Car Company of America under an agreement with a consortium to list the specially organized holding company's stock on the New York Stock Exchange. You may have seen them at county fairs the vertical velodromes were originally built from old grain silos, leading to the name "silo-drome.". Stutz also built such exotics as the 25-foot-long armored Stutz Royale limousine (with a name borrowed from Bugatti). Warren Liu became its main shareholder and took over ownership of Stutz Motor Cars in 1982. The road versions departed only from the White Squadron racers in their fenders, lights, and trunk. As well as being more exclusive and aesthetically adventurous, the Custom cars benefited from plusher upholstery and lustrous Carpathian Elm veneers. Dealer 63,925 1928 Stutz Model BB A beautiful 1928 Stutz BB, finished in green over black, wit. It was the last vehicle he drove, the night before he died. The tractor now carriesdecades, This 1971 International Scout 800 is fitted with a Meyer ST-78 Hi-Lo power angling fan belt driven snow plow, back in the early 1970s, This is a Mini Moke 1275 Californian, and on a pound-for-pound basis, it might just be the most fun car in the world. The Stutz straight-eight, 4.7-litre engine had a nine-bearing crankshaft, single, chain-driven, overhead-camshaft and dual-ignition. The Stutz Motor Car Company was delisted. Jon has done radio, television, magazine and newspaper interviews on various issues, and has traveled extensively, having lived in Britain, Australia, China and Hong Kong. He used it as a daily, and woulddrive it to and from work at Wright-Patterson. Expand your options of fun home activities with the largest online selection at eBay.com. That luxury trunk is the last word in upscale motoring. Stutz's fabulous 360 cubic inch, 16-valve four-cylinder produces 83 horsepower and is undoubtedly the centerpiece of this wonderful automobile. Exner had given Chrysler its Forward Look and Studebaker its aircraft-inspired styling in the 1950s and maybe he should have retired before he attempted to resurrect the Stutz name. The original GM 350-cubic-inch V-8 is under the hood. It was a small coupe featuring dual side-mount spare tires and a rakish dip in the doors, similar to contemporary (and future) sports cars. Coasting on the success of Americas first sports car, the Bearcat, Stutz kept cranking out cars but it was the beginning of the end for this groundbreaking automaker. In 1931, the Stutz Motor Company was struggling to regain its footing amidst the panic of the Great Depression. It was broadly similar in outline (bucket seats, exposed fuel tank) but differed from the original in having left hand drive and many visual differences. Stutz-fans know that the Bearcat is a Convertible, launched in 1979. Just 12 or 13 Bearcat IIs were produced between 1987 and 1995. Notable owners included the Sultan of Brunei, who owned two. Cussler passed away last February, and his daughter Teri now runs the museum, which displays about 70 vehicles including a 1906 Stanley Steamer, 1921 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost and 1925 Isotta Fraschini, and many more. VAN ALLEN (2021). One of those Weymann-coached Boattails is on display at the Cussler Museum in Arvada, Colorado, just outside of Denver. The fastest DV32 the short-wheelbase Super Bearcat could exceed 100mph with ease, but even the limousine bodied long wheelbase derivatives were said to be able to cruise at 70mph and touch 90mph on occasion. That year, it launched the 1931 Stutz DV-32 Boattail Speedster, a curvy, long-nosed luxury car that was proudly marketed for nearly $6,500, a kings sum then. In 1976, a convertible called D'Italia based on a standard Blackhawk was presented at the Beverly Hills Hotel. However, Stutz continued its performance heritage with the dual overhead cam, in-line 8 engine design. Los Angeles investor Warren Liu took over ownership and became CEO of Stutz Motor Cars in 1982. Exterior color: White. Jon Branch is the founder and senior editor of Revivaler and has written a significant number of articles for various publications including official Buying Guides for eBay, classic car articles for Hagerty, magazine articles for both the Australian Shooters Journal and the Australian Shooter, and hes a long time contributor to Silodrome. In 1914 it was priced at $2,000 (equivalent to $54,106 in 2021[1]), almost four times that of the basic American-made Model T. The colorful history and rakish image of the Stutz Bearcat made it one of the better known antique cars to later generations of Americans. In Concours d' Elegance condition. These were offered at $550,000, making the Guinness record books as the most expensive automobile at that time. All these cars used General Motors running gear, featuring perimeter-type chassis frames, automatic transmission, power steering and power brakes with discs at the front. Stutz's most famous product, the legendary Bearcat was one of the first true sports cars, being stripped of all but the bare essentials and offering little in the way of weather protection or comfort. Stutz Motor was charged by stock manipulation again in 1935, but without the excesses that occurred in 1920. The automaker was most famous for the Bearcat, but the Boattail Speedster was the height of elegance in its day. Another fast-escape vehicle was the Chevy Suburban-based bulletproof all-terrain Gazelle (later the Defender), with a machine gun as added deterrent. However, Stutz could not beat the Great Depression and, as sales plummeted, Moskovics made way for a new president, Colonel Edgar S Gorrell. James B Beam Distilling Company Replica Stutz Bearcat. in. 1. The subsequent road-going version was essentially a . That same year, development engineer and racing driver Frank Lockhart used a pair of supercharged 91-cubic-inch (1.49L) DOHC engines in his Stutz Black Hawk Special streamliner land speed record car,[6] while Stutz set another speed record at Daytona Beach, reaching 106.53mph (171.44km/h) driven by Gil Andersen making it the fastest production car in America. 1918 Stutz Bearcat - Jay Leno's Garage Jay Leno's Garage 3.46M subscribers Subscribe 8.4K 587K views 6 years ago Newly restored and ready to hit the road! Stutz Motor was charged with stock manipulation again in 1935 and filed for bankruptcy in April 1937. This Stutz Bearcat II has only 1,369 miles on it, and has never been titled. The new Bearcat used the GM A platform shared with the Blackhawk, and was essentially a Targa top coupe. That fame persisted well into the late 20th century and the car's name was often used by way of comparison by modern makes of cars including Nash, Triumph and Mercury. The Series S Bearcat of 1917 brought the first large change to the model. Jon has done radio, television, magazine and newspaper interviews on various issues, and has traveled extensively, having lived in Britain, Australia, China and Hong Kong. Finally, we get to theBearcat II, which is something else entirely. The highest bid came from Branko Kavcic, the owner of the famous Stutz Blackhawk Prototype. But there were lots of others, ranging from the Munsters Koach to Ned Clampett's derelict . Wearing a set of Goodrich Silvertown whitewall tires - distinguished by the double diamonds on the sidewall - the shortened chassis of the 1932 Stutz Super Bearcat is clearly apparent. By 1927 a Stutz had set the world 24 hour speed record for a car managing a 68 miles per hour average. Only 24,000 miles. It was based on Stutz's competitive 1911 Indy car and was a raced as well as disguised as a spartan passenger car. The 1936 Stutz Bearcat is a vehicle owned by Mr. Burns. Add to Favorites . This ad also was the first to use the soon to be famous Stutz slogan "The Car that made good in a day" referring to the Stutz racer's 11th-place finish in the 1911 Indianapolis 500. Safety measures included wire-reinforced `shatterproof glass and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. The Bearcat used a six liter, inline-4 Wisconson engine. In June 1913 Ideal Motor Car Company changed its name to Stutz Motor Car Company and Stutz Auto Parts Company that made transaxles was merged into it. The company also built a number of fire engines and transport vehicles. (Some would say, unfortunately.). . Theywere among the fastest cars money could buy, supercars in every sense of the word, with power provided by an engine that almost won at Le Mans in 1932. The Stutz Motor corner was the last publicly detected intentional corner on the New York Stock Exchange. No doubt it is also no less exciting to drive than it was in 1932. Privacy Policy |Terms of Use. Designer Virgil Exner revived the Stutz name in August 1968, in conjunction with New York banker, James O'Donnell. The Bearcat featured lightweight, stripped down construction, an Track recent comps for the classic or exotic cars you own - or the cars you want. Ideal built what amounted to copies of the racecar with added fenders and lights and sold them with the model name Stutz Bearcat. The Velvet Underground's 1970 song "Sweet Jane" mentions a Stutz Bearcat to illustrate the bygone times described in the song. The Mighty Bearcat The later cars simply didn't have the raw extravagance of the earlier ones and the final Stutz, a GM F-Body-based carbon-fibre Bearcat, was made in 1992. When production ended in 1935, some 35,000 cars had been manufactured. Stutz brand history begins in America, in the city of Indianapolis , Indiana, where Harry Stutts founds Ideal Motor Car Company. With the production of the Pak-Age-Car, an early small walk-in delivery van, the company attempted to revive the business. They were powered by 6.4-litre, four- cylinder, side-valve, cross-flow, T-head, 60hp Wisconsin engines and the transmission and final drive assembly was Harry Stutzs three-speed. Sitting some five to eight inches closer to the ground than the class average endowed the `Vertical Eight with superior handling and roadholding capabilities. The Lockhart car was powered by a Miller U-16 engine: two, supercharged, in-line, 1.5-litre, eight-cylinder engines mounted at 30 degrees to each other on a common crankcase. Stutz Motor was delisted. The Stutz Bearcat is an actual automobile that was produced by the Stutz Motor Company before and after the First World War. Ryan Sr., and friends attempted stock manipulation which in April 1920 proved disastrous. The Stutz Motor Car Company, was an American producer of high-end sports and luxury cars based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Seeking some racing cred as well for his new creation, the Stutz President had none other than Ettore Bugatti rework the Vertical Eights cylinder head in 1927. The Super Bearcat had a tight convertible top, roll-up windows and an advanced integral luggage trunk. He loved the car and used it frequently, at least until an accident (without Elvis aboard) in 1971. The new Bearcat had the DV-32 (32 valve) eight-cylinder engine and each car came with an affidavit saying the car had been tested at 100mph (160km/h). Interesting. Even the Henry Ford museum recognizes the Bearcat as Americas first true sports car, and the Bearcat won the majority of the races in which it was entered in its first year out. Common with racing and sports cars of the period, it featured minimal bodywork consisting of a "dog house" hood, open bucket seats, a tiny "monocle" windscreen in front of the driver, and a cylindrical fuel tank on a short rear deck. 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