1921 Stutz Bearcat Series K
- Engine
- 360 ci T-head inline-four, 16-valve, single Stromberg carburetor, 88 bhp
A 1921 Stutz Series K Bearcat, chassis 10555, purchased new in Boston by a US Army Medical Corps officer who drove it through several postings before it was left undisturbed for roughly eight decades at a Georgia estate. Discovered by television presenter and collector Wayne Carini, the car retains extraordinary originality at approximately 11,500 miles from new, including its original paint, upholstery, and a unique handwritten factory build tag. Recommissioned with minimal intervention, it won the FIVA award at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
Ownership
- 2021-10-01Auction saleEstimate US$500,000 – US$600,000
- 1921 → 1931Factory deliveryUS Army Medical Corps officer, original purchaserpartial documentation
Senior military medical officer who acquired the car new from the Boston Stutz dealership; drove it first to Silver Springs, Maryland, then relocated to Georgia in 1931, taking the car with him.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownCaretaker of former officer's Georgia estatenone documentation
Car was given to this individual and left untouched for decades at the original owner's former Georgia property.
- Date unknownPrivate saleWayne Carinipartial documentation
Television personality and classic car specialist who negotiated purchase after locating the car in Georgia; had mechanical stabilization and cosmetic conservation carried out at his Connecticut shop before consigning it.
Competition
- 20152015 Pebble Beach Concours d'EleganceFIVA award for most significant original pre-war car
The car's public debut following mechanical recommissioning; drew large crowds and earned the top FIVA recognition among pre-war entrants.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Maintenance
Partial disassembly was begun at the Georgia estate in an attempt to carry out a routine decarbonisation, but the work was abandoned and the car left in preserved original condition.
This incomplete work pre-dates the car's acquisition by Carini.
- —MechanicalEvan Ide
Oil pan removed and cleaned, water pump rebuilt with a replacement shaft, complete valve job performed, new head gasket fitted, and ignition system revived. Swollen and cracked cam follower guides were replaced with newly fabricated bearing-bronze items.
Work commissioned by Carini after transport to Connecticut; carried out by Bonhams motoring specialist and Stutz authority Evan Ide.
- —BodyworkEvan Ide
Cosmetic stabilisation undertaken: fragile upholstery areas reinforced using period-correct sourced leather to address rodent damage; exterior paintwork carefully cleaned; original fabric top brushed clean of accumulated dirt and dust.
Work conducted alongside the mechanical recommissioning with explicit priority given to preserving original patina.
- —ModificationEvan Ide
A secondary aluminium fuel tank of roughly three-gallon capacity was fabricated and stored behind the front seat, allowing the original pressure delivery system to remain in use and avoiding the need to fit a modern fuel pump. The original tank, which retained well-preserved factory paint, was left untouched.
Holman Engineering produced the replacement cam follower guides; overall recommissioning took several months.
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