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    History:
   
     
   
“The STUTZ Bearcat was the preeminent sports car of the Jazz Age,”
  John B. Rae
The American Automobile
   
“The STUTZ Bearcat, like Paul Bunyan or the 20th Century Limited (train),
is a seminal part of American folklore,”
  Ralph Stein
The Great Cars
   
    • STUTZ Motor Car of America has long been renowned for its innovation and longstanding contributions to automotive engineering. From its inception STUTZ held a reputation for building fast, durable, and safe cars with the utmost in style.

• By the mid 1920’s the Stutz name had become synonymous with automotive excellence. Not only were the early STUTZ cars fast and reliable, they were the hallmarks for state-of-the-art design, engineering, and innovation. In addition, STUTZ produced the quietest running and most powerful V-8 engine on the market.

• The STUTZ Bearcat is recognized as America’s first race car. It participated in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911, and was the “flawless vehicle” that Cannonball Baker drove coast-to-coast (1915) in the renowned and record setting “Cannonball Run”.

• In 1927 the STUTZ Blackhawk Speedster set the land speed record (107 mph) over the sands of Daytona Beach, Fla.., and later became the epitome of the American luxury car.

• Stutz designed and built the first “under-slung chassis”, which lowered the automobile’s center of gravity allowing it to turn more safely and efficiently at greater speeds…  a seminal innovation that would serve to initiate a paradigm shift in the manufacturing of the automobile lasting to this day.

• STUTZ was first to implement the use of safety glass and the dual overhead cam engine.

• The second generation STUTZ Blackhawk, Bearcat II, Victoria, and IV Porte were known for their luxurious coachworks. The second era Stutz was proclaimed “The World’s Most Expensive Car”. Stutz was appropriately crowned “The Car of King’s”, and is still one of only a handful of cars to ever grace a United States postage stamp.

• In 1987 Stutz, with the unveiling of the Bearcat II Convertible, was the first carmaker to employ the use of a carbon fiber (dent-proof) body.

• The first generation STUTZ motor car is formally recognized as a bona fide American Classic and the second is a lasting symbol of luxurious coach works and automotive aristocracy.
       
     
       
    Stutz cars helped put the roar in the Roaring Twenties  
       
    By Richard A. Wright

One of the most legendary stars in the American automobile firmament is Stutz. "Stutz Bearcat" conjures an era, the Roaring Twenties, flappers and gangsters and college men in raccoon-skin coats. Most of us were not alive then, but we heard our parents or our grandparents or our great-grandparents talk about it.
Harry Clayton Stutz built his first horseless carriage in 1898. During his 30 years in the then-new automobile industry, Stutz had a hand in many automobiles. But none had the legendary status of the car that bore his name. In 1906, Stutz joined the Marion Motor Car Co. as chief engineer and factory manager. In 1910, Marion introduced the Marion Special Roadster expressly for racing. The Special had a number of Stutz engineered features, one of which was the "transaxle," which combined the transmission and rear differential. Stutz organized Stutz Auto Parts Co. to manufacture and sell the transaxle he had designed and patented. 		 
       
    This 1913 Stutz Touring Car was powered by a 50-hp six-cylinder engine and cost $2,300 new.  
       
    The first car to bear the name "Stutz" was built in just five weeks and was immediately taken to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first running of the Indy 500. Gil Anderson drove the car to an eleventh place finish and Stutz created the advertising slogan, "The Car That Made Good in a Day." Later in 1911, the Ideal Motor Car Co. was organized for manufacture of the Stutz Model A, a duplicate of the Indy race car.
The famous Stutz Bearcat sports car was launched in 1912 for a 10-year run. In June 1913, Ideal Motor Car Co. was reorganized as Stutz Motor Car Co., with Harry Stutz as president. The demand for Stutz cars led to construction of a new plant in Indianapolis.
In 1915, famed driver Cannonball Baker drove a Bearcat from San Diego to New York in a record-breaking 11 days, 7 hours, and 15 minutes. Sales kept expanding and Stutz decided to go public in 1916 to acquire capital for an expansion of manufacturing facilities. A group of Wall Street investors headed by Allan A. Ryan bought controlling interest in Stutz. In 1919, Harry sold his remaining interest in the company that bore his name.
Stutz founded two new automotive ventures, the Stutz Fire Engine Company and the H.C.S. Motor Car Co. The first Stutz pumper earned a perfect score in a 12-hour test at a fire chief's convention. Several cities placed orders on the spot for the new units. Stutz left the fire engine company in 1924 to focus on the H.C.S. After building only 302 units, the company closed later that year. 		 
       
    After Harry C. Stutz resigned from the famous company which bore his name, he started a new auto maker in Indianapolis called H.C.S., his initials. The H.C.S. was introduced in 1920 and built until 1925.  
       
       
       
   

The H.C.S. Cab Manufacturing Co. was announced in late 1924. The cab firm entered receivership in 1927. In the late 1920s Stutz developed a revolutionary, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder aircraft engine. Harry Stutz died in June 1930 before this Stutz-Bellanca engine could be commercialized. 

The Stutz Bearcat was a true sports car -- a powerful engine, efficient transmission and not much else. Creature comforts were not foremost. Speed was. Its clutch was so stiff that it was rumored the purpose was to prevent women from driving this "man's car."  

After Stutz sold his company to Charles M. Schwab and other investors, the Bearcat was canceled. In 1923, Frederick Ewan Moskowics, who had worked for Daimler in Germany and Marmon and Franklin in the U.S., took over as president of Stutz Motor Car Co. Moskowics was intent on changing the Stutz from a he-man's sports car to an elegant sedan of classic lines. He did, with introduction of the 1926 Vertical Eight.  

In changing beast to beauty, Moskowics contracted to take coachmaker Charles Weymann's entire American output in 1928. The Weymann bodies gave the Stutz a European look which was reflected in model names like Monte Carlo, Biarritz and Versailles. 		 
       
    In 1925, Frederick E. Moskovics took over the Stutz company and changed the car from a macho sportster to an elegant European-style luxury car. He introduced the Blackhawk in 1929, combining Stutz power with new elegant coachwork. Shown here is a '29 Stutz Blackhawk Speedster.  
       
   

Under Moskowics, Stutz became well known for its safety features, like safety glass, the "No-back" Hill-Holder system and a chassis with an unusually low centre of gravity because of a low-slung worm drive system.
The luxury beauties that Stutz was building continued the old tradition of speed, however, particularly with the introduction in 1928 of the Stutz Black Hawk, the second legendary Stutz model name.
The cars were a great success, but it was a troubled time for the company. Stutz was besieged with lawsuits, including a breach-of-contract claim over engine building and a breach-of-confidence suit by James Scripps-Booth over the low-slung worm drive design Stutz adopted before Moskowics entered the picture.
Moskowics resigned in 1929 and was succeeded by Edgar S. Gorrell. Gorrell wisely declined to enter the multi-cylinder V-12 and V-16 race engulfing the American luxury car field and instead came out with a DV-32 engine, a fabulously efficient four-valve-per-cylinder straight eight. That engine prompted revival of the Stutz Bearcat name in 1932.
But even with the great engine and the mighty Bearcat name, Stutz could not withstand the effects of the Great Depression. In 1934, the company listed 36 separate models available in its line, but only six cars were built in that last year of production. The company was dissolved in 1939, nine years after the death of Harry C. Stutz.

 
       
    THE FIRST GENERATION STUTZ MOTORCAR  
       
    A LEGACY OF DESIGN INNOVATION AND SPEED (1898 – 1935)  
       
    1898 – Harry Stutz, a twenty-two year old bicycle repairman, builds his first automobile, a gas buggy driven by a two horsepower engine “Old Hickory”. One year later Stutz Manufacturing is founded for the production of gasoline engines.
1905 – Harry Stutz builds a four cylinder “Tourist” car for American Motor Car.
1906 – Stutz begins a four year period of employment at Marion Motor Car as chief engineer, designer, and factory manager.
1911 – Harry drives the first car manufactured under the name Stutz in the first ever Indianapolis 500 Race. The car was completed the day before the race. It ran flawlessly for the entire five-hundred miles except for having to change tires numerous times. Stutz finished 11th averaging 68 mph over the course.
1912 – Stutz cars place 1st and 2nd in the 203 mile Illinois Trophy Race at Elgin.
1913 – Stutz Motor Car Company is formed, and Gil Anderson drives a factory Stutz for a 1st place finish at the Elgin National Trophy Race…beating the 2nd place finisher by seven minutes. Stutz enters ten other races, and takes home eight 1st place finishes. Orders for Stutz cars far exceeds the capacity to deliver.
1914 – Stutz unveils the first “street version” Bearcat with a powerful T-head 4 cylinder 361 cu. in. engine. It’s an immediate sensation.
1915 – Stutz is named America’s Racing Champion and remains so for years to come. Cannonball Baker, in the original Cannonball Run, goes coast to coast in a Stutz Bearcat setting an “unbelievable” record time of 11 days and 7 hours. The Bearcat runs like a precision clock from start to finish.
1916 – Stutz Motor Car Company Of America (SMCCA) is listed on the NYSE and soon sets its price at an unbelievable $100 per share.
1920 – SMCCA sells a record 4,000 cars in one year. Harry Stutz leaves the company to start Stutz Fire Apparatus Company for the building of fire engines.
1922 – Charles Schwab buys controlling interest in SMCCA and the company begins to build large luxury cars. Emphasis is placed upon style and engine strength. Six and eight cylinder engines are introduced.
1927 – A Stutz Blackhawk Speedster wins the prestigious American Automobile Association Stock Car Championship, and later averages a record setting 107 mph over the sands of Daytona Beach, Florida.
1928 – Stutz finishes runner up at the LeMans Gran Prix.
1931 – Stutz reaches the pinnacle of automotive engineering with its (first ever) dual cam shaft 32 valve engine.
1934 – The Great Depression takes hold. There is no place for a high priced, hand-made, low production automobile. The last of the “first generation” Stutz automobile rolls off the assembly line. SMCCA closes its doors.		  
       
    The End Of An Era  
       
    From their inception Stutz Motor Cars held a reputation for providing the utmost in style, luxury, durability, power, speed, and safety. By the mid 1920’s the Stutz name had become synonymous with quality. Not only were the early Stutz cars fast and reliable, they were the hallmarks for state-of-the-art design, engineering, and innovation. Stutz was first to implement the use of safety glass, structure a lower center of gravity for better handling, and provide a high-grade interior for look and comfort. In addition Stutz produced the quietest running and most powerful V-8 engine on the market.

Only 35,000 of the first generation Stutz motor cars were ever produced in the twenty year history of the company. In fitting tribute, all Stutz manufactured during the Classic Era of the automobile (1925-1946) are now recognized as “full classics” by The Classic Car Club Of America.
Following the closure of the Stutz factory in 1934, it would be thirty-five years before the revered Stutz insignia would once again adorn the hood of a new factory manufactured automobile.

  
       
    THREE DECADES OF ABSENCE
EXNER and O’DONNELL
THE SECOND GENERATION STUTZ (1968 – 1995)		  
       
    1968 – Investment banker James O’Donnell, a man with a passion for beautiful cars, and distinguished Chrysler/Bugatti stylist Virgil Exner join forces to rebirth a legendary motor car and incorporate the Stutz Motor Car Corporation Of America. They soon initiate a limited annual production run of specialized high-end Stutz automobiles catering to an elite user marketplace. To save on tooling costs Exner bases the new design around the use of a GM drive train and modified GM shell. The elegant custom interiors are of European design utilizing fine English leather, Milanese Walnut, and 24 K plated appointments. The first of this new breed Stutz are produced in Modena, Italy and then later in Turin.

1970 – The prototype Stutz Blackhawk is unveiled on January 7th. It is ordered for Frank Sinatra; however, is sold to Elvis Presley. Presley eventually will buy a total of four Stutz’s, one of which he drove on the day of his untimely death. Stutz soon becomes the
car of choice for kings, queens, political dignitaries, global business leaders and elite entertainers. Quantities are limited and the price is high, but the unique styling makes it desirable for the select few that can afford the luxury.

1976 – SMCCA receives an order for a number of full scale armored limousines that can withstand a barrage of high caliber bullets or grenade impact. The result is the twenty-five foot Stutz Royale Limousine. Word gets out fast as to the efficacy and luxury of the novel armored limo and the company is barraged with retro-armor requests for numerous other limo vehicles for use at embassies and missions throughout Europe and the Middle East. The Stutz Royale is listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s most expensive production automobile ever sold with a price tag of $550,000.
1978 – The new Bearcat convertible, the IV Porte, the Blackhawk Coupe, and the leggy Victoria are all introduced between 1978 and 1981. The Victoria features ten more inches of leg room than the standard Stutz, and is outfitted with burled walnut writing desks and a color TV.
1981 – Stutz is contracted to produce thirty (30) large, four-door convertible hard-tops. These specialized vehicles are to be fast, rugged, bullet proof, and elegant. A large caliber, turret operated machine gun is concealed within the car’s interior structure and capable of immediate deployment. A later version is capable of withstanding fire from all NATO, Kalashnikov assault rifles, and the Winchester 300 magnum. This breed of Stutz is utilized for motorcade transport of domestic and foreign dignitaries. A total of forty-nine of these vehicles are eventually manufactured to order.

1985 – The Gazelle (Defender) is unveiled. It is a five passenger, bullet-proof, armed, all-terrain vehicle capable of both two and four wheel drive…the ultimate war wagon outfitted with a balanced and blueprinted 425 hp marine jet engine capable of reaching speeds in excess of 135 mph. It utilizes a unique cooling system for water and engine/transmission oil, larger capacity air-conditioning, bigger brakes, and a heavier suspension than any other car/truck of its kind. The Gazelle weighs in at 8600 pounds. It carries 120 gallons of fuel in explo-safe tanks, 50 gallons of cool water, and enough ammunition to assault a fortress. A 360°, Patented, turret mounting system on rubber shocks capable of both horizontal and vertical swing for a large caliber machine gun is standard equipment as are aircraft strobes, special Goodyear sand treads, and a heavy duty wench. As with any Stutz…war wagon or not, durability, reliability, roadability, and comfort are of paramount importance. Unfortunately, by the time the car is ready for delivery the government that had placed the initial order is experiencing severe losses in oil revenue, and delivery never takes place.

1986 – Still looking for a way to increase profits through sales Stutz hierarchy turns its attention to the production of a new sports car based upon Exner’s original concept for an indestructible two-seater luxury convertible. Its body will be virtually immune to dings and dents…it will retain its new car shape and luster regardless of the day-to-day travails of highway driving and parking lot encounters.
With whatever capital the company can muster it dedicates its resources to the development of a light-weight, durable, rustproof, dent-proof carbon fiber (Diamond Fiber Comp) car body. The same material/substance oft used in the fabrication of formula one race cars, high speed aircraft, the Stealth bomber, the space shuttle, and intercontinental missiles is now being crafted into the Stutz Bearcat II convertible.
1987 – In March of ’87 Stutz’s Monte Carlo Stutz dealer introduces the remarkable Stutz Bearcat II convertible to the world at the Geneva Auto Show. A hammer is handed to press and attendees alike. The door is pounded upon continuously throughout the course of the show. Geneva’s largest newspaper (La Suisse) writes, “We hit the door until our hands hurt, and still there were no visible signs of any damage to the door or to the paint”. Only 13 of these cars are ever built. The first two are delivered to the Sultan of Brunei.

1995 – Stutz management determines that vehicle production and sales will be halted for an indefinite period of time.
2010 – Stutz Management prepares for the capitalization and manufacturing of its new line of luxury vehicle. Formal relationships are initiated with a number of overseas automotive parts and manufacturing companies.

 
       
       
       
       
 
 
 
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