1921 Stutz Series K Bearcat

The first owner of this 1921 Stutz was Dr. William A. Hagins of Silver Springs, Maryland. In 1931 he purchased a large farm in Statesboro, Georgia, and drove his Stutz Bearcat over 600 miles to his new home. After the long journey, the Stutz was running a little rough and was put away in a barn. Twenty years later, after active duty in the war, Hagins returned to Georgia and set about repairing the Stutz, but soon after he had removed the head and begun work on the car, he passed away. He left his entire estate to his caretaker, who left the car untouched - still up on bricks with its head off. The car was recently discovered by a retired army officer who was hunting on the property. After hearing about it, the current owner visited the farm and was able to purchase the vehicle. The car is totally original, except for its tires - and it now has a new head gasket!

This 1921 Stutz Series K Bearcat was purchased new through a Stutz agency in Boston by Dr. William A. Hagins, an Army officer of the Medical Corp. About a decade later, it was garaged at his Georgia estate after its cylinder head was removed for routine maintenance and never reassembled.

The Bearcat lay dormant for nearly eight decades in storage until it was discovered and purchased by Wayne Carini in 2015. At its discovery, it was nearly all intact and completely original, with 11,000 miles on the odometer.

A second fuel tank was fabricated from aluminum to work with the existing fuel system, helping to preserve the original appearance of the vehicle. New pushrods and valve guides were added to the engine, and the original water pump was rebuilt using new old stock parts. The spark plugs and ignition wires were replaced with period-matching components. Minor repairs were made to the upholstery, and the paint was stabilized.

The Stutz Bearcat made an appearance at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it was awarded the prestigious FIVA Prewar Trophy for preservation.

This Stutz is currently owned by Jan Voboril and has seen minimal use since its removal from long-term storage. In 2019, it was prominently featured in an early American motoring exhibit at the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virginia.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2023