The Stutz Bearcat, introduced in 1912, was perhaps America's first true sports car. The original GM 350-cubic-inch V-8 is under the hood. In 1940, Eli Lilly And Company purchased the Stutz factory buildings to establish its Creative Packaging division. Advantage. The first public mention of the car (then spelled "Bear Cat" ) is in an advertisement in the 1912 program for the Indianapolis 500 mile race. (750ml). 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. When he was appointed president, on February 17th 1925, he soon recruited the Swiss-born Charles Greuter and ex-Metallurgique prodigy Paul Bastien to instigate a Eurocentric design philosophy. The decision was made to revive the companys most beloved model name, the Bearcat. It did have additional parts like fenders, headlights, and a windshield added but otherwise it was a race car you could drive on the road. It was originally powered by a 390 in3, 60-horsepower straight-4 engine produced by the Wisconsin Motor Company. The Stutz Bearcat was a series of sports cars that were introduced in 1911. The history of the Stutz Motor Company. The companys factory opened at 10th Street and Capitol Avenue in 1914. Expired. 5067 Engine no. 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. To be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RMs Vintage Motor Cars of Meadow Brook event, July 24, 2010Chassis No.4F2658Estimate:$275,000 - $350,000 US50 hp, 390 cu. Only 24,000 miles. 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). Youve heard of the Cannonball Run; the man for whom that car rally was named, Cannonball Baker, drove none other than the Bearcat from San Diego to New York in eleven days and change, breaking speed records. By 1922, the famed Bearcat name was missing from model lists and sales literature. Officially, the Bearcat was built with a 120-inch wheelbase, though early examples reportedly measured 118 inches from axle center to axle center. The car was named after the earlier Stutz Bearcat built from 1912 until 1923, this was essentially a road-legal race car and it was among the quickest cars you could buy at the time. But parts for the neo-Stutz do turn up. It was cast in a single block had a heat-treated nickel crank and camshafts. Contribute to this page by emailing us your suggestions. And they were very expensive.. The company also built a number of fire engines and transport vehicles. Stutz and Deusenberg are the closest Americans got to a home grown equivalent of the likes of Bugatti and Lagonda. Virgil Exner had more luck with the Stutz name. Stutz offered it for $100,000 (equivalent to $373,361 in 2021[1]). 1932 Stutz Convertible Coupe SV-16 Greg Gjerdingen. The demand for Stutz motor cars prompted the construction of a new manufacturing facility at 1002 North Capitol Avenue in Indianapolis. Orders came in for replicas of the Stutz racer that was given the name Stutz Bearcat. In 1916, the financier Alan A. Ryan took control of the company after it had gone public. Stutz also built such exotics as the 25-foot-long armored Stutz Royale limousine (with a name borrowed from Bugatti). In 1912, Stutz won 25 out of 30 competitions entered thanks to the Bear Cat. Designer Virgil Exner revived the Stutz name in August 1968, in conjunction with New York banker, James ODonnell. In the 5 years following 1912, production went from 266 to 2,207 cars. The company, however, failed and closed in 1937. 2021 Historic Vehicles. The BMW i8 Roadster two-seater with full electric convertible top that opens in under 16 seconds. The Stutz Bearcat was an American sports car of the pre and postWorld War I period. 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. The delivery vehicle was put into production by Stutzs Package Car Division in March 1933 and the production of automobiles stopped. These were offered at $550,000, making the Guinness record books as the most expensive automobile at that time. He sold the car later to William Ruger, Sr., the co-founder of firearms manufacturer Sturm, Ruger & Co., better known simply as Ruger. Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Evel Knievel, Barry White and Sammy Davis Jr all owned Stutz cars. Los Angeles investor Warren Liu took over ownership and became CEO of Stutz Motor Cars in 1982. You will find the auction page here. Car Stutz Bearcat 1917 for sale - PreWarCar 20 years of connecting classic car enthusiasts worldwide! A prototype of Exner's Stutz Blackhawk was produced by Ghia, and the car debuted in 1970. 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. Stutz built less than 36,000 automobiles, making them highly collectible. As one of the earliest true sports cars, the 1912-1916 Stutz Bearcat models have the highest value. [7] When production ended in 1935 35,000 cars had been manufactured. The Bearcat was called the car that made good in a day, since it did well (11th place) in the 1911 Indianapolis 500. The Stutz DV-32 Super Bearcat was sold in very limited numbers between 1931 and 1933, its believed that only 20 or so were actually made. Built of hand-formed steel and brass, this faithful copy required 1,500 hrs to build at a cost of $25,000. It is one of only three custom-built by George Barris. The Bearcat featured a 389cuin (6.4L) Wisconsin brawny four-cylinder T-head engine with four valves per cylinder,[citation needed] one of the earliest multi-valve engines, matched with one of Harry Stutz's transaxles. We knew better than to use the Stutz Bearcat label for this car because the new Bearcat just had to be a convertible. Stutz was a very prestigious automaker in its day, and the racy Bearcat helped make its name. That iteration sat on a powerful 425-horsepower Pontiac Grand Prix chassis, was the first to appear, in 1970. The name lasted from 1914 through 1934. Into that ultra light body went the wonderful Double Valve DV32 straight 8 DOHC engine. It was powered by a 361 cubic-inch four-cylinder engine that produced 50 horsepower. The pharmaceutical companys packaging division remained until 1982. 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. 1920s, ALAN CONANT (1994), ELIZABETH J. That luxury trunk is the last word in upscale motoring. He then organized the Stutz Motor Car Company in May 1913 through the merger of the Stutz Auto Parts and Ideal Motor Car companies. This Stutz engine is a 390 cu. 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 first public mention of the car (then spelled "Bear Cat" ) is in an advertisement in the 1912 program for the Indianapolis 500 mile race. All stutz bearcat artwork ships within 48 hours and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. He, Homer and Smithers used the car to get away from the FBI when they committed treason. This post is part of our ongoing museum series, which was created to bring the stories from museums around the world to The Drive readers. The new Bearcat used the GM A platform shared with the Blackhawk, and was essentially a Targa top coupe. Engines: T-head I-4, 360.8 cid (4 3/8 6-in. In 1911 Stutz entered one of their then four cylinder cars in the Indianapolis 500 and managed to finish in 11th place in that first attempt. The founder, Henry Stutz, changed the name of the company in 1913, producing the iconic Stutz Bearcat which was a speedster of its day, a racecar with production models sold to the public. 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! As the name suggests, he was originally focused on producing components, but when word spread about a new 500-mile race, Stutz wanted in. In 2008, the Stutz was auctioned by RM Auctions in Toronto. In June 1913, the Ideal Motor Car Company was reorganized as the Stutz Motor Car Company with Harry Stutz as president. bore stroke), 16 valves, sohc, 80 bhp Transmissions: 3-speed transaxle; leather-faced cone clutch (multiple-disc prior to 1915) The Bearcat name was reintroduced in 1931. The owner says it all with this call to action: Own a piece of history!. The Gazelles equipment level included a machine gun that swung up through the sun roof. The restored car can now be seen at Graceland. The Velvet Underground's 1970 song "Sweet Jane" mentions a Stutz Bearcat to illustrate the bygone times described in the song. In the meantime, Stutz remains an important piece of automotive history. Moskowics quickly refocused the company as a developer of safety cars, a recurring theme in the auto industry. If you really wanted to go nuts, a six-cylinder version was available. According to my Motor Manual, the engine originally had a compression ratio of 5.7:1 and made 93 HP @ 3400 RPM with a single barrel Stromberg . At only 116 inches, the wheelbase was a full foot and a half shorter than the standard offering. 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. Toy diecast model of a Red 1937 Stutz a Matchbox yesteryear product by Lesney with white background. 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. His travels have taken him to Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan and a number of other countries. 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. Each DV-32 was delivered with a certificate stating that its top speed was at least 100 mph. The depression had not been kind to Stutz, so the name was used as a way to boost sales. Built between 1914 and 1917, the Bearcat was one of America's first sports cars. The car crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, and Lockhart was killed. All Rights Reserved. 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. [citation needed] A Triumph ad asked the question "Is the TR 3 the Stutz Bearcat of the 60s?" The Bearcat continued the tradition of lightweight construction, a potent engine, and superior performance. 0. Wisconsin T-head four-cylinder engine, producing "over 60" brake horsepower but rated at 36.1 hp. The Bearcat, originally "Bear Cat," made its debut in 1912. 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 . Some found a home in the Middle East. In 1911, Stutzs Ideal Motor Car Company managed to build a racecar in five weeks for the inaugural Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. 3. As the son of a farmer, Harry C. Stutz grew up tinkering with mechanical objects. Ryan Sr., was bankrupt in August 1922 as well as disinherited by his father, Thomas Fortune Ryan. Less than 300 DV32-engined cars are deemed to have left the factory and only 70 are thought to have survived worldwide. 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. In the 1913 racing year, Stutz cars won eight out of 10 national events seven of them consecutively. The sedans typically included a console for beverages in the rear seat. The famous Bearcat first appeared in 1912. 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. The Stutz Bearcat was an innovative car for the time, powered by an 6.4 liter 60 hp engine with four valves per cylinder. Allan Aloysius Ryan (18801940), father of Allan A. Ryan Jr., was left in control of Stutz Motor. As a part of the listing process, the number of cars produced and sold since 1912 was reported to potential investors: 1913, 759; 1914, 649; 1915, 1,079; 1916 (first six months) 874. The 1936 Stutz Bearcat is an Italian car owned by Mr. Burns. The 6-litre (350cuin) Corvette engine was an option. cargallery From shop cargallery. In 1911, the company produces car Indianapolis 500 with the slogan "the car that makes the day better."The following year , Harry changed the company name to Harry Stutz and starts production roadsters like the famous Stutz Bearcat.Stutz- E series there in 1914 Using a Stutz model called the Blackhawk, driver Frank Lockhart reached a speed of 202 miles-per-hour at Daytona Beach, but a front tire blew on the return run. Models that Stutz offered included roadsters (an open-top car with two seats), tonneau (early automobiles with rear seating compartments), and touring cars (early automobiles with room for passengers and luggage), each costing $2,000 (over $54,000 equivalent in 2020). Matchbox 1931 Stutz Bearcat 1974 Model of the Yesteryear Vintage Toy Car Lesney. 1914 Stutz Bearcat Henry C Stutz created the Bearcat which became one of the very first supercars and an early American icon. The White Squadron Stutz cars were different from production cars in being powered by five-litre engines that complied with the new 300 cubic-inch maximum capacity racing rule. In 1976, a convertible called D'Italia based on a standard Blackhawk was presented at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Thus, the `Vertical Eight or `AA model that was launched at the January 1926 New York Motor Show was promoted as the `Safety Stutz. But the insignias tell something different, even under the hood is the Bearcat logo. see other Bearcat Coupe 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. 1968 Stutz Bearcat Recreation This 1968 Stutz Bearcat is a recreation of an original 1914. Elvis Presley bought the first Blackhawk in 1971, and later purchased three more. Unopened bottle in original box. In 1940, Eli Lilly And Company purchased the Stutz factory buildings to establish its "Creative Packaging" division. The original production Bearcat was introduced in the Series A of 1912. Send the writer a note: kristin.shaw@thedrive.com. The company, however, failed and closed in 1937. Thus it was that the 1932 Stutz DV-32 Super Bearcat Convertible was born. CLASSIC.COM is a trademark of CLASSIC.COM LLC. or Best Offer. Listing Statements of the New York Stock Exchange, September 13, 1916. Stutz authorities have determined that this car is an original and authentic Bear Cat that was most likely privately raced. Text. 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. According to factory literature from 1913 the Bearcat "was designed to meet the needs of the customer desiring a car built along the lines of a racing car with a slightly higher gear ratio than our normal torpedo roadster, has met with great favor with motor car owners and meets the demand for a car of this class. 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. Then there was the hand-tooled Stutz Blackhawk coupe. The production version of the Bear Cat, later renamed the Bearcat, was as close to the race car as they could reasonably get it. I've got a 1936 Nash Ambassador with OHV I6 (3 3/8" bore x 4 3/8" stroke = 234.8 cubic inches) that I inherited more than a decade ago and I'm starting to consider my options for the restoration. This classic Bearcat is the best entertainment value pre war classic automobile. 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