1929 Stutz Model M Four-Passenger Speedster
- Engine
- 5.3L SOHC inline-eight, ~113 bhp (rebuilt with titanium rods, aluminum pistons, 9.5:1 compression)
- Colour
- Cream and coral
A 1929 Stutz Model M Four-Passenger Speedster bodied by LeBaron, featuring a single-overhead-cam inline eight-cylinder engine in a semi-custom 'cut-down' speedster configuration. Originally owned by California socialite Eva May Johnson from at least 1937, the car later entered the celebrated Cunningham Museum collection before passing to Miles Collier and subsequently to firearms manufacturer and Stutz devotee William Ruger Sr., under whose ownership the engine was comprehensively rebuilt to high-performance specification by Callaway Cars.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$302,500
- 1937 → 1970Acquisition unknownEva May Johnsonfull documentation
California socialite and sportswoman who used the car as regular transport from 1937 onward; resisted selling for many years and refused at least one prospective buyer she deemed unsuitable.
- 1970 → 1986Private saleBriggs S. Cunninghamfull documentation
Acquired after roughly two decades of correspondence with the prior owner; car was restored in cream and coral livery and displayed at his museum in Costa Mesa, California, until the museum closed.
- 1986-12-01 →AuctionMiles Collierpartial documentation
Purchased alongside the majority of Cunningham's collection at a December 1986 sale; the car was not retained as a permanent part of the Collier Collection.
- Date unknownPrivate saleWilliam Ruger Sr.partial documentation
Connecticut firearms manufacturer and dedicated Stutz enthusiast who commissioned a fresh restoration; the engine was rebuilt by Callaway Cars with high-performance internal components including titanium connecting rods and revised cylinder head.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Restoration
The car was refinished in a cream-and-coral colour combination during its time with the Cunningham collection, prior to being displayed at the Cunningham Museum.
Date of this restoration is not specified in the prose beyond it predating or coinciding with museum display.
- —Engine rebuildCallaway Cars
The Vertical Eight engine was rebuilt to high-performance specification, incorporating titanium connecting rods, new aluminium pistons at a 9.5:1 compression ratio, and a reworked cylinder head for improved gas flow. Forced induction was reportedly tested during development, achieving approximately 400 bhp, though the car is currently normally aspirated.
Work undertaken during William Ruger Sr.'s ownership; the car retains an externally standard appearance despite the internal upgrades.
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