1920 Stutz Series H Roadster

The Stutz Bearcat was known as the sportiest car of its day. Harry Stutz was the designer and builder of his first car in 1912, which raced in the inaugural Indiapnolis 500. The car finished 11th in the race and thus earned the reputation of 'The Car That Made Good in A Day.' The exceptional 1920 Stutz Bearcat Series H represents the culmination of the growing design excellence of the Bearcat through the years. Note that the ingress and egress are via the passenger-side running board with a step plate (i.e. there are no doors.) This motor car sports Stutz's fabulous 360 cubic-inch, 16-valve, 4-cylinder engine, producing 83 horsepower. Harry Stutz was one of the industry's great automotive pioneers, and he designed and built automobiles of enduring value. Their beauty and their design created a great demand for their early cars, and they are still admired and coveted today.

This car was owned by the late Ray Katzell, author of The Splendid Stutz. The car won an AACA national first in September 2004.

The Stutz Motor Company, initially named the Ideal Motor Car Company until 1913, was founded by Harry C. Stutz and experienced car builder Henry F. Campbell. Assembled in under five weeks, the Stutz Series A racing car made its debut at the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 and would finish in 11th place, earning the slogan 'The Car That Made Good in a Day.' The closely related Stutz Bearcat, a car that evolved from the Indy racer, would emerge in 1912, serving as the car at the Indianapolis 500 the same year. Winning the AAA Championship Car season in 1915, it was crowned America's racing champion. The following year, a Stutz Bearcat broke the Atlantic-Pacific Trans-America record, further establishing the Bearcat's sporting credentials.

The Stutz Bearcat was a minimalistic racer built for the road, and it would continue to evolve, eventually gaining an enclosed cockpit with cut-down sides in the form of the Series H of 1919. Its redesigned chassis accommodated the new in-house engine. Stutz had facilities to manufacture their own engines after 1917, and its dual-camshaft, sixteen-valve four-cylinder engine displaced 360 cubic inches and produced 83 horsepower.

This particular 1920 Stutz Series H Bearcat (chassis number H8391) had a history known since 1961 when the AACA publication listed C.R. Stanford as the owner. Ownership later included Raymond Katzell, author of the book, The Splendid Stutz, . Around early 2003, ownership passed to another avid Stutz collector, who would subsequently restore this example to a very high standard both mechanically and cosmetically. The Gregorie Neck Collection purchased the Stutz around November of 2008.

This Series H Bearcat wears a dark red exterior with contrasting black fenders and painted Buffalo wire wheels. There are bright red chassis accents and a black folding canvas top along with a black painted radiator shell, black painted headlamps with polished nickel rings, and a period correct nickel spot lamp.

Currently, this Stutz displays 1,706 miles, a figure believed to reflect the total distance accumulated following the extensive restoration completed in the early 2000s.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2024