1930 Stutz SV16 Monte Carlo Enclosed

This 1930 Stutz SV-16 Weymann-bodied Monte Carlo 'Fabric Covered Body,' is described as a close-coupled, five-passenger sedan on a 145-inch wheelbase. Harry Stutz commissioned Weymann to design the Monte Carlo to be 'strictly European in every detail.' The body is covered with three layers of fabric plus an outer sheeting of Zapon (a leatherette-like material) over a wooden frame.

The car is powered by a 322 cubic inch, in-line, eight-cylinder engine developing 113 horsepower. The SV-16 indicates the engine has only two valves per cylinder.

The long-wheelbase Weymann Monte Carlo was the top of the line for Stutz in 1930, sold for $4,495, and only a handful are known to exist today.

The Stutz Company, named after its founder Henry Stutz, had a strong engineering background. They enjoyed initial success at Indianapolis in 1911, which earned the company a reputation as 'the car that made good in a day.' They would continue their racing presence as the years progressed. The last Stutz automobile was manufactured in 1934 after a total of only 35,000 cars were produced during the company's 25-year history.

There are two sides to every coin. In the automotive world, those two sides are performance and luxury. Throughout the early parts of the 20th century, perhaps no companies were better at blending the two than Bentley, Bugatti, and Hispano. However, America certainly had its competitors against the seemingly strictly European ranks. One of the most popular of these, even in Europe, would be Stutz and its line of distinctively elegant 'Chateau' body styles.

Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Stutz Motor Company couldn't have been more American. However, with the help of the Indianapolis-based Weymann American Body Company, Stutz would go on to produce one of the most remarkable lines of automobiles known as the 'Chateau Line.'

While the Stutz name was certainly well respected on both sides of the Atlantic for its quality and performance, it would be the French-American Charles Terres Weyman that would put the Europeans in the Chateau Line.

Before the 1920s, Weymann had gained a lot of experience with fabric and construction as a World War I test pilot flying Nieuports. By the time he left the service, Weymann had achieved the rank of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. Following his service career, Weymann would be anything but listless. His years of experience with fabric-covered aircraft and their construction leant perfectly to starting his own coachbuilding company.

By the beginning of the 1920s, Weymann's fabric-bodied cars would be all the rage. The growth of the market would be swift, and it would see Weymann with a factory in Paris, London, and Indianapolis, all before 1929. Weymann would have contracts with all of the major manufacturers of the period. But, the Chateau Line offered by Stutz would have to be considered one of the marquee designs.

Stutz recognized that the European market for custom-made coach designs was widely popular, even with the affluent in the United States. The company, therefore, recognized the need to design a car that offered the performance and styling of European marks. The Chateau Line, with model names taken from some of the most exotic of locations along the Riviera, was to be their means of engaging in that growing market.

Stutz's effort wouldn't just be a success in the United States. In fact, the Chateau Line would make Stutz widely popular on both sides of the Atlantic. The timing could not have been any more perfect. Stutz had introduced its sporty Bearcat a couple of decades earlier. Those who had become familiar with the performance and quality of the Bearcat, by the time a couple of decades had passed, would then be looking for a much more 'sensible' car. This is what the Chateau Line offered—performance and luxury. But, of the entire line, there would be one that would be perhaps the most famous and popular. It would be known as the Monte Carlo.

Offered at the RM Auctions event in Amelia Island, the 1930 Stutz SV16 Monte Carlo easily demonstrates why the Monte Carlo was so popular and desirable. Boasting of the famous coach built Weymann body, chassis M854CD27S beautifully demonstrates that blend of style and performance.

Complete with a 322 cu.in. 113 bhp inline eight-cylinder engine and three-speed manual transmission, the 1930 Stutz Monte Carlo is both elegant and bold at the same time. Tastefully accented with chrome brightwork, the Monte Carlo is a charming blend of roadster and stately tourer.

Dominated by the long, tall nose with the Stutz badge proudly adorning the grille, the Monte Carlo maintains the long, flat upper line similar to that of the stately limousines of the period. However, the dramatically-rounded rear end of the car would not only hide the innovative built-in trunk, but would also give the car a distinct roadster-like look to it. Completed with the extremely low roof line, raked windscreen, and small rectangular windows and the car had all the looks of an extreme on-track performer. It was, in many ways, the perfect design for the time. Despite listing at well over $4,000 in 1930, the Monte Carlo would remain so popular that it would remain in the Stutz lineup until the company ended production in 1934.

It is believed just three examples of the Monte Carlo were built on the SV16 chassis in 1930. Therefore, M854CD27S certainly belongs in rare company. This particular example belonged to the late Mr. Alexander Miller. To say Miller was rather eccentric would be something of an understatement given his penchant for Stutz, but more interestingly, his flippant willingness to house them in derelict barns all over his Vermont property.

Dozens of Stutz would come to be owned by the obsessive Mr. Miller. And, because of his obsession, very few would ever make it out of his ownership. However, in 1974, M854CD27S would come to be sold to Sherwood Kahlenberg. The car would remain in Kahlenberg for many decades before its owner came to possess the car in 2000.

Upon taking delivery of the car, the new owner would almost immediately set about restoring the car to its original appearance. RM Restoration would be contracted for the job and would consult Ken Nemenic for his expertise in restoring the fabric body panels and interior. The California-based upholsterer would set to work and would labor meticulously to restore the car to its original appearance.

The result of the work would be immediately gratifying. At Pebble Beach in 2002, the car would go on to earn Best in Class, but the success wouldn't end there. The same Best in Class award would be bestowed upon the car at Meadow Brook and Ault Park. Then, at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the Classic Car Club of America the car earned the highest points and earned the Warshawsky Award.


Prestigious and award-winning, the extremely rare SV16 Monte Carlo would be presented at the RM Auctions event in its original colors and with estimates ranging from $400,000 to $600,000.

Sources:
'Lot No. 132: 1930 Stutz SV16 Monte Carlo by Weymann', (http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1057664). RM Auctions. http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1057664. Retrieved 4 March 2013.

'1930 Stutz SV16 News, Pitcures and Information', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z9055/Stutz-SV16.aspx). Conceptcarz.com: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z9055/Stutz-SV16.aspx. Retrieved 4 March 2013.

'History', (http://www.stutzmotor.com/history.htm). Stutz. http://www.stutzmotor.com/history.htm. Retrieved 4 March 2013.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Charles Terres Weymann', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 28 February 2013, 09:30 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_Terres_Weymann&oldid=541196124 accessed 4 March 2013

By Jeremy McMullen