The Stutz "White Squadron" factory racing team won the 1913 and 1915 championships. Chassis 997 sold at auction to the consignor for a fee-inclusive $557,500 in 2015, and this time around, Bonhams is predicting a selling price between $550,000 and $650,000 when the Bearcat crosses the block. Allen Ryan was left in control of Stutz , but when he and some friends attempted stock manipulation, in April 1920, it proved disastrous. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The BMW i8 Roadster two-seater with full electric convertible top that opens in under 16 seconds. The history of the Stutz Motor Company. The Bearcat II was based on the Pontiac Firebird chassis with 5.7-liter (350in3) V8 multi-port fuel-injected Corvette engine and had a lightweight, dent- and corrosion-proof body made of what Stutz called Diamond Fiber Comp., a kind of carbon-fiber composite. $475,000. With the production of the Pak-Age-Car, an early small walk-in delivery van, the company attempted to revive the business. DV-32 stood for Dual-Valve 32; it has four valves for each cylinder for a total of 32. While it retained the 120-inch (300cm) wheelbase, its body now featured an enclosed cockpit with step-over sides. (750ml). The late Brass Era Stutz expert Paul Freehill, of Stutz Specialties in Fort Wayne, Indiana, inspected the car and identified the gas tank as an original, correct 1915 Bearcat unit, in addition to verifying that the frame had the correct 118-inch span, both as noted in . Meanwhile, two friends of Thomas Fortune Ryan found themselves with large parcels of Stutz stock, Charles Michael Schwab and Eugene Van Rensselaer Thayer Jr. (18811937), president of Chase National Bank.[2]. All Rights Reserved. On May 30, 1911, a Stutz Bearcatentered by the ingenious Harry C. Stutzfinished in 11th place in the inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500. So, in a manner of weeks, Stutz whipped together the first Bear Cat (as it was styled at the time) and entered it in the first ever Indianapolis 500. . It was often associated with the "Roaring 20s" and college students of that period. As well as being more exclusive and aesthetically adventurous, the Custom cars benefited from plusher upholstery and lustrous Carpathian Elm veneers. Stutz was a very prestigious automaker in its day, and the racy Bearcat helped make its name. 0. Like its great rival the Mercer Type 35R Raceabout, the Stutz Bearcat Speedster was among Americas first true sportscars and drew patronage from the likes of Barney Oldfield and Erwin `Canonball Baker; the latter using his to shatter the existing coast-to-coast record by seven-and-a-half hours in 1915. He has studied the Japanese sword arts and has a long history of involvement in the shooting sports, which has included authoring submissions to government on various firearms related issues and assisting in the design and establishment of shooting ranges. In the case of Stutz, the car featured safety glass, a low center of gravity for better handling, and a hill-holding transmission called "Noback". It has bright red paint on that Diamond Fiber Composite body, offset by a white Italian leather interior. However, Harry Stutz was an engineer foremost and a reluctant company director, so he left Stutz on July 1, 1919 and together with Henry Campbell established the H C S Motor Car Company and Stutz Fire Apparatus Company. The 1932 Super Bearcat you see here is one of just two surviving examples with a fabric body, and one of eight Super Bearcat survivors in total. Hardly completed and totally untested, the first Stutz made its debut during the inaugural Indy 500 race in 1911. Stutz Motor was charged by stock manipulation again in 1935, but without the excesses that occurred in 1920. The attempt was the last effort of the team. bore stroke), 16 valves, sohc, 80 bhp Transmissions: 3-speed transaxle; leather-faced cone clutch (multiple-disc prior to 1915) Ad vertisement from shop cargallery. Thus it was that the 1932 Stutz DV-32 Super Bearcat Convertible was born. In 1912, Stutz won 25 out of 30 competitions entered thanks to the Bear Cat. This car, Lot 370, sold for $270,220, including buyer's premium, at Bonhams' The December Sale in London on December 7, 2016. 1932 Stutz Vertical Eight SV-16 roadster body by Derham. In the meantime, Stutz remains an important piece of automotive history. In his ownership Colonel Bowers is said to have given his Stutz a full mechanical rebuild and he had repainted the hood, fenders, and wheels. The Bearcat II was a neo-classic hand-built in Turin, Italy not for the race track but for cruising Hollywood Boulevard. 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. The Stutz Bearcat was an American sports car of the pre and postWorld War I period. AC. Jay gives an in-depth look at his 1918. VAN ALLEN (2021). Stutz individually tested each Bearcat at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and many were raced with great success. Aermacchi. The fastest version of the new Bearcat was the suitably named the Super Bearcat, it was fitted with a much shorter (and therefore lighter) 116 inch chassis and a low-slung body for a lower center of gravity. However, Stutz could not beat the Great Depression and, as sales plummeted, Moskovics made way for a new president, Colonel Edgar S Gorrell. In 1940, Eli Lilly And Company purchased the Stutz factory buildings to establish its "Creative Packaging" division . Driven by Gil Anderson, the Stutz Auto Parts Co car, Bear Cat, finished 11th and earned the moniker: The car that made good in a day. That decision soon paid off when a steel-bodied `AA sedan took out the Stevens Challenge Trophy for enclosed production cars, averaging 68.44mph for 24 hours at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Super Bearcat had a tight convertible top, roll-up windows and an advanced integral luggage trunk. The restored car can now be seen at Graceland. 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. A significant advance was the 1931 DOHC 32-valve in-line 8 called the "DV32" (DV for 'dual valve'). Stutz Bearcats became the darling of the jet set, including actor Gary Cooper and author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Wire wheels were listed as a $125 option (equivalent to $3,113 in 2021[1]). Silodrome was founded in 2010 as a website dedicated to Gasoline Culture and all it entails - We write about modern cars, classic cars, motorcycles, racing, gear, gadgets, clothing, boats, planes, airships and the occasional submarine.Read more Silodrome 2023. all rights reserved. While externally very close to the original cars, they were in fact built on custom chassis powered by Ford drivetrains and had modern four-wheel brake systems for safety. The classic car grapevine believes that only six of the Stutz DV-32 Boattails are left. Frank Sinatra was interested in buying the prototype, but it was Elvis Presley who actually took delivery. Stutz would encounter financial problems, eventually shutting down production in 1935 and declaring bankruptcy in 1937. The Stutz Motor Car Company was delisted. Elvis Presley bought the first Blackhawk in 1971, and later purchased three more. 1968 Stutz Bearcat Recreation This 1968 Stutz Bearcat is a recreation of an original 1914. Wisconsin T-head four-cylinder engine, producing "over 60" brake horsepower but rated at 36.1 hp. Stutz Bear HS05 Stutz Registry Husam Al Maliki. Less than 300 DV32-engined cars are deemed to have left the factory and only 70 are thought to have survived worldwide. Elvis Presley bought the first Blackhawk in 1971 and later purchased three more. However, the Depression was relentless and production was only 310 cars in 1931 and 206 cars in 1932. It retailed for $125,000 (equivalent to $298,147 in 2021[1]), including a carbon-fiber hard top for use in winter and a matching luggage set. Donning a leisure suit and chest medallion is optional. Sales of Stutz began to wane in 1985, but continued until 1995. It is now housed along with a number of his other vehicles, at Graceland. Jim Motavalli is a contributor to the New York Times, Barron's, NPRs Car Talk, and the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School, among others. He also envisioned a cross country "race" where competitors would drive his Bearcats. For other uses, see. However, New York banker James O'Donnell resuscitated the brand in 1968 and launched a retro-looking car that once again made Stutz a status symbol. Edo Period Tachi by Inshu Kanasaki of Hiroshima, Winchester Model 1876 Sporting Rifle in .45-60 Winchester, Steyr Mannlicher Luxus in .270 Winchester, Leica Rangemaster CRF 1000-R Range-finder. The Super Bearcat would leave production in 1933 and the company wouldnt make it to the 1940s, succumbing to bankruptcy in 1939. 1912 Stutz Bearcat - Notice small "monocle" windshield. Officially, the Bearcat was built with a 120-inch wheelbase, though early examples reportedly measured 118 inches from axle center to axle center. Stutzs assault on the 1929 Le Mans 24-hours netted a fifth place overall, behind a quartet of Bentleys. It was aimed at luxury car buyers as a unique runabout, but its high price limited sales. In 1912 Stutz won 25 out of 30 competitions entered thanks to the Bearcat. Its low weight, balance, and power made it an excellent racer. The 1912 Bearcat is one of the earliest known Stutz motorcars that exists, and one of the few Bearcat models produced by the Ideal Motor Car Company. Stutz was struggling as were their competitors. The Bearcat is the convertible version of the Stutz Blackhawk. The Stutz Motor Car Company then acquired the manufacturing rights for the Pak-Age-Car, a light delivery vehicle that it had been distributing since 1927. The engine was based on the original Stutz Vertical Eight from 1926 and was a 322-cubic inch powerplant that included dual overhead camshafts and angled valves above the hemispherical combustion chambers. 1920s, ALAN CONANT (1994), ELIZABETH J. This car is all original and in very good condition. With its lower weight and itsDV-32 engine producing 156 bhp and 300 ft lbs of torque, the Super Bearcat was able to reach speeds in excess of 100 mph an astonishing rate of speed for the era. Although the company is still in existence, sales of factory-produced vehicles ceased in 1995. The highest bid came from Branko Kavcic, the owner of the famous Stutz Blackhawk Prototype. [5] Also in 1927, Stutz won the AAA Championship winning every race and every Stutz vehicle entered finished. Ferrari 250 GT TdF Scaglietti '1 Louvre' Coupe, Pre-War Single Seaters and Grand Prix cars, Le Mans Series 6 Hours of Silverstone (ILMC), Palm Beach International, a Concours d'Elegance, North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), 2017 The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering Award Winners, 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Winners, 2016 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este List of Winners, 2015 The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering list of winners, 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance List of Winners, 2015 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este List of Winners. 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. Top of the Pak-Age-Car, an early small walk-in delivery van, Bearcat! Netted a fifth place overall, behind a quartet of Bentleys language are! To axle center to axle center to axle center convertible version of famous. 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