1928 Stutz Model BB Convertible Coupe

The Stutz Motor Car Company was founded by Harry Clayton Stutz alongside his friend and experienced car-builder Henry F. Campbell. Builders of 'the car made good in a day,' a slogan it earned after it finished 11th overall in the inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500 race on May 30, 1911. Most famous among early Stutz cars was the Bearcat Speedster, which, combined with the factory race team known as the 'White Squadron', was a formidable opponent on the road and track.

Initially building cars under the name of the 'The Ideal Motor Car Company' in 1911, they became the Stutz Motor Car Company in 1913. They continued to refine their models throughout the early 1920s, and during this period, they became known and respected as a driver's car for the type of individual who could afford the finer things in life.

The Stutz Model BB of the late 1920s came equipped with the company's latest vertical-eight engine. With this engine, Stutz earned the AAA title of Stock Car Champion in 1927 and a second place overall finish at the Le Mans 24-hour race. This particular Stutz Model BB wears an all-aluminum Cabriolet Coupe body by Phillips Custom Body Co. of Warren, Ohio. The vertical-eight engine is rated at 115 horsepower, and there are Lockheed hydraulic brakes and single action lever-type shock absorbers. There is an Egyptian Sun God Radiator cap mascot, dual side-mounted matching spare tires with sideview mirror, twin Parabeam headlamps, Firestone deluxe champion gum-dipped whitewall tires, a rumble-seat, front and rear chrome bumpers, and a rear mounted luggage rack.

The Gregorie Neck Collection acquired this Stutz around 2010. It is a CCCA Premier Senior National First Prize winning example that wears a dark blue exterior with a blue canvas convertible top, and a dark blue leather interior varnished with wood trim work.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2024

One of the legendary marques of American automotive history is the Stutz, built in Indianapolis, Indiana, from 1911 to 1935. The company made its reputation at the Indianapolis '500.'

It built upon that reputation with a series of both sporting and luxurious automobiles. Stutzes were always fast cars - and they were expensive. This convertible coupe (with body by Phillips Body of Warren, Ohio) costs $3,700 new.

A Stutz Black Hawk was America's fastest production car in 1928, averaging 106.53 mph at Daytona. The 1928 Stutz BB Vertical Eight chassis was powered by an in-line, straight-eight engine that developed 110 horsepower.