1929 Stearns-Knight J-8-90 Sedan

Frank Baliou Stearns grew up in wealth and comfort. His family had made a sizable fortune in the stone quarry industry. Not surprisingly, his cars, until the very end of production in 1930, reflected status and wealth. The first car he built was also the first car he ever drove in 1896 at the age of 17. It was built in a machine shop in the basement of his family's elegant Euclid Avenue home in Cleveland, Ohio. Series Production began in 1898.

During 1909, Stearns applied for a patent to protect its most distinctive feature, the 'white line radiator.' In 1911, it became a distinctive car of another kind when it acquired the first American license to produce the Knight engine. Citing ill health, Stearns retired at the age of 37 and in December of 1925 the company was sold to John North Willys and his Willys-Overland Empire. Just 1,143 cars were produced in 1929.

The Stearns-Knight was one of the highest priced cars of its era. At $5,600 it was nearly 10 times the cost of a typical Ford or Chevrolet. The Stearns, however, was far from a typical car. Stearns-Knight was acquired by Willys-Overland in 1925; the new owners retained the Stearns hallmark of a while line on the inside of the front grill. They also maintained the Stearns identity rather than incorporating the marque into the larger Willys-Overland Corporation. Stearns-Knight maintained its reputation for quality right up to the company's demise in 1930.

This 1929 Stearns-Knight Model J8-90 features a body by Raulang, a division of Rauch & Lang Carriage Co. They had a well-earned reputation for their coachwork, and many automakers such as Biddle-Crane, Cadillac, Duesenberg, Franklin, Gardner (1930), Hupmobile, Jorgan, Lexington, Packard, Peerless, Reo, Ruxton (1930), Stanley, and Wills St. Claire, would become Raulang customers. The 1929 Stearns-Knight Model J8-90 rests on a 145 inch platform and is powered by a unique and massive 1260 Lb. sleeve-valve 8-cylinder engine which was capable of propelling this car to over 100 mph. This vehicle was a National AACA First Prize winner in 1992.

Source - AACA Museum