The Super Bearcat had a tight convertible top, roll-up windows and an advanced integral luggage trunk. The Stutz "White Squadron" factory racing team won the 1913 and 1915 championships. 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. The same year, the model range was enhanced by the DV-32 powered "Super Bearcat", which offered full weather protection and higher performance. Stutz made inline 8-cylinder supercharged motors that were ahead of their time technically, and they churned out horsepower and speed. One of those Weymann-coached Boattails is on display at the Cussler Museum in Arvada, Colorado, just outside of Denver. 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. Elvis Presley also had a black Stutz with a red leather interior and a gold-plated gear stick. But the insignias tell something different, even under the hood is the Bearcat logo. 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 1940, Eli Lilly And Company purchased the Stutz factory buildings to establish its "Creative Packaging" division . 1929 Stutz Model M LeBaron Larry D Moore. Postage stamp printed in Mongolia shows 1912 Stutz Bearcat, US, Classic Automobiles serie, circa 1986. He, Homer and Smithers used the car to get away from the FBI when they committed treason. Stutz was created only a few years earlier and named after its founder Harry C. Stutz, who had previously worked at Marmon. Ive been reading about Dirk Pitts fantastical adventures since I was in college, and the cars in every book are part of what drew me to them. The new Bearcat was fitted with the companys sophisticated DV-32 Dual Valve 32 inline-eight cylinder cross-flow engine with double overhead cams and four valves per cylinder an unusual specification for a road going engine at the time, most engines were still using pushrods and two valves per cylinder for decades to come. 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. Owning a Stutz Bearcat became a status symbol for the wealthy of the era. Production was limited and an estimated 617 cars were built during the company's first 25years of existence (19711995). $19.99. The body was a pioneering carbon fiber composite that resisted dents and corrosionat the debut, the assembled press were handed hammers and asked to see if they could do damage. Stutz rebirth . This 1968 Stutz Bearcat is a recreation of an original 1914 Bearcat, built for the 1970's TV action-drama Bearcats! The Stutz Bearcat was an innovative car for the time, powered by an 6.4 liter 60 hp engine with four valves per cylinder. Engines were V8s, originally 400 or 460 cubic inches (6.6 or 7.5L), but by 1984 the Victoria, Blackhawk, and Bearcat came with a 160hp (119kW; 162PS), 350.0-cubic-inch (5.7L) engine while the Royale had a 424.8-cubic-inch (7.0L) Oldsmobile engine rated at 180hp (134kW; 182PS). In the late 1960s, he built and marketed a fiber-glass replica of the car, based on the chassis of an International Harvester Scout utility vehicle. There have been a few attempts to revive the marque over the years, and there are rumors now that the name will be brought back for a new line of electric vehicles, one of which will almost certainly be called the Bearcat. It was based on Stutz's competitive 1911 Indy car and was a raced as well as disguised as a spartan passenger car. 2. 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. Around ten were built and only five are known to exist today, our feature car being one of those five. Jim Motavalli is a contributor to the New York Times, Barron's, NPRs Car Talk, and the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School, among others. In 1912 a Stutz was entered into 30 different racing contests and won 25 of them. 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 he's a long time contributor to Silodrome. Stutz Motor was charged by stock manipulation again in 1935, but without the excesses that occurred in 1920. This Super Bearcat is now due to roll across the auction block with RM Sothebys later in August with a price guide of $1,000,000 $1,300,000 USD. Moskovics counted Louis Delage, Gabriel Voisin, Charles Weymann and Ettore Bugatti among his friends. "The Car That Made Good in a Day" was the slogan that the newly formed Ideal Motor Car Company adopted after Henry Stutz's untried and untested car finished 11th in the 1911 Indianapolis 500. Essentially, the Bearcats were a shorter (120" wheelbase vs 130"), lighter version of the standard Stutz passenger cars chassis. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. There's no better example than the Stutz Bearcat. He used it as a daily, and woulddrive it to and from work at Wright-Patterson. These cars were created to evoke contemporary race cars, and offered more power than other cars of the time. In 1929, three Stutzes, with bodies designed by Gordon Buehrig, built by Weymann's U.S. subsidiary, and powered by a 155hp (116kW; 157PS), 322cuin (5.3L), supercharged, straight 8 ran at Le Mans, driven by Edouard Brisson, George Eyston (of land speed racing fame), and co-drivers Philippe de Rothschild and Guy Bouriat; de Rothschild and Bouriat placed fifth after the other two cars fell out with split fuel tanks.[3]. 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. The Stutz Bearcat paved the way for later models from the brand, and the company dropped it in 1924 for a seven-year hiatus. 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. George Barris, the "King of Kutomizers," was famous for cars he created for movies and TV, with the fabulously funky Batmobile being the best remembered. 1968 Stutz Bearcat Recreation - For Sale. Stutz Bearcat 1915 for sale. The companys factory opened at 10th Street and Capitol Avenue in 1914. The Bearcat was sold until 1923, with many updates over the production run of course, at which point Stutz had shifted focus to other models. The delivery vehicle was put into production by Stutzs Package Car Division in March 1933 and the production of automobiles stopped. A six-cylinder option was available for an extra $250.00 (equivalent to $6,854 in 2021[1]). Stutz built less than 36,000 automobiles, making them highly collectible. Oklahoma City businessman Howard D. Williams attempted to capitalize on the model's fame. 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. In 1976, a convertible called D'Italia based on a standard Blackhawk was presented at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Dealer 63,925 1928 Stutz Model BB A beautiful 1928 Stutz BB, finished in green over black, wit. Model History. To prove the worth of his integrated gearbox and final drive, he and Henry built the first Stutz in five weeks, in 1911 and entered it in the first Indianapolis 500. 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 dropped the model in 1924 only to bring it back in 1931, hoping the beloved name might improve sales during the Great Depression. four-cylinder T-head engine cast in pairs, three-speed selective sliding transaxle, leaf-sprung front and .. More listings from this seller. 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. Just 12 or 13 Bearcat IIs were produced between 1987 and 1995. Notable owners included the Sultan of Brunei, who owned two. October 14, 2016. Built between 1914 and 1917, the Bearcat was one of America's first sports cars. Virgil Exner had more luck with the Stutz name. A two door hardtop, the model was called the Stutz Blackhawk. 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. "[citation needed]. 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! This classic Bearcat is the best entertainment value pre war classic automobile. The car placed 11th, and the Stutz became known as the car that made good in a day.. It was originally powered by a 390 in3, 60-horsepower straight-4 engine produced by the Wisconsin Motor Company. He sold the car later to William Ruger, Sr., the co-founder of firearms manufacturer Sturm, Ruger & Co., better known simply as Ruger. 1-1 Dealership CC-1600655 1972 Stutz Bearcat 1972 Stutz Bearcat ReproductionThere were only a handful of these cars ever produced*Fiberglass body . Of course it did! The new Bearcat used the GM A platform shared with the Blackhawk, and was essentially a Targa top coupe. Essentially, the Bearcat was a shorter (120-inch [3,048 mm] wheelbase vs 130-inch [3,302 mm]), lighter version of the standard Stutz passenger car's chassis. 1. Abarth. 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. see other Bearcat Coupe Stutz offered it for $100,000 (equivalent to $373,361 in 2021[1]). The Stutz DV-32 Super Bearcat was given a short, low-slung chassis with a sporting body and an advanced double overhead cam inline-eight engine with four-valves per cylinder producing 156 hp and a hefty 300 ft lbs of torque. Production was limited and an estimated 617 cars were built. It was powered by a 361 cubic-inch four-cylinder engine that produced 50 horsepower. Great deals on Matchbox Stutz Diecast Cars. In 1987, a completely new Bearcat convertible, called the Bearcat II, was introduced. Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Evel Knievel, Barry White and Sammy Davis Jr all owned Stutz cars. 1988 Stutz Bearcat II -Source144 . [3], Other replicas have been built by individuals. Stutz' "White Squadron" race team won the 1913 and 1915 national championships before withdrawing from racing in October 1915. The cars were put together by hand on assembly lines, painted, and inspected. The famous Bearcat first appeared in 1912. It was aimed at luxury car buyers as a unique runabout, but its high price limited sales. 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 Stutz Bearcat, originally named the Bear Cat, was first shown to the public in 1912 fittingly in an advertisement in the 1912 Indianapolis 500 race program. In 1940, Eli Lilly And Company purchased the Stutz factory buildings to establish its "Creative Packaging" division. At the time, the U.S. government has outlawed the sale of convertibles in the United States. 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. For decorative purpose. On May 30, 1911, a Stutz Bearcatentered by the ingenious Harry C. Stutzfinished in 11th place in the inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500. Stutz was a very prestigious automaker in its day, and the racy Bearcat helped make its name. 0. Sadly due to the economic crisis very few were sold, its thought just 20 or so in total. For 1923, the roadster was renamed the Bearcat, but the name would again disappear in 1924. 19801986 - based on the Pontiac Bonneville, 19771987 IV-Porte - based on the Pontiac Bonneville, Buick LeSabre, or Oldsmobile 88. Listing Statements of the New York Stock Exchange, September 13, 1916. in. It is now housed along with a number of his other vehicles, at Graceland. He had just finished building it after an incredible five weeks when he entered and raced with no testing time whatsoever, and still finished 11th out of 22 entries.