1932 Stutz Model DV-32 Super Bearcat

Stutz Motor Company was established in 1911 under the name of Ideal Motor Car Company in Indianapolis, Indiana. The following year Stutz would come into being. Though the company would only carry on production until 1935, the company would earn a strong reputation for itself producing powerful luxury cars for the elite of society.

Roadsters like the Bearcat would establish the Stutz name among the very best. Sporting a number of innovations and impressive performance, the Stutz would be a valid race car, as well as an early sportscar available to the public.

But if the Bearcat wasn't enough, then the Super Bearcat was able to fill in the gaps. Based upon the DV-32 engine, a technologically advanced and powerful powerplant, the Super Bearcat was a development of a Stutz developed for Le Mans to demonstrate the power of the new engine. The Super Bearcat, therefore, was a showcase for Stutz.

The Super Bearcat would use an overhead cam engine, a four-speed transmission, a low chassis, and fabric coachwork, making it every bit the competitor to the European grand tourers of the day.

Chassis DV-SB-1486 remains a remarkable example of the Super Bearcat. Still bearing its original Weymann fabric skin, this particular example has been a part of a number of collections over the years. Dr. Frederick Simeone would come to own the car at one part and would make the Super Bearcat a prime feature within his impressive collection of Stutz automobiles.

Simeone would decide to part with the car, and it would then pass into the hands of William Ruger. Ruger, famed for Sturm, Ruger, and Co., would be well known for his own collection of automobiles, especially Stutz, and 1,486 made a valuable contribution to the assembly.

Ruger would retain the Super Bearcat until his passing. At that time, the car was still very original. Over the course of the last decade, the car has undergone some restoration and rebuilding efforts, including rebuilding the brake system and installing a high-ratio gear assembly. A new stainless steel exhaust captures the wonderful note coming from the DV-32 engine, offering an aural indication of the power under the long, narrow hood.

Factory correct from its crank-hole cover and running boards to its original fabric skin and engine, this Super Bearcat is a veritable step back into time and a great demonstrator of what made Stutz great for its couple of decades of existence.

All other examples of the Super Bearcat reside in major collections making this example certain to garner attention. The place where the public would have the opportunity to see and buy the Stutz Super Bearcat would come at the 2015 Bonhams auction in Amelia Island, Florida, in the middle of March.

Boasting an incredible provenance and such high originality, this early American sports car would garner worthy praise and estimates ranging from between $850,000 and $1,200,000.

By Jeremy McMullen