1932 Stutz Model DV-32 Super Bearcat

Harry Stutz built his reputation on speed. The first Bearcats, built in 1914, were the reigning champion of the American sports car scene. It was a lightweight, low-slung raucous monster using a large slow revving 4-cylinder engine, producing 60 horsepower.

Lacking the financial resources of its competitors, Cadillac, Packard, and Lincoln, who were building V-12 and V-16 engines, Stutz had its eight-cylinder DV-32. It featured twin overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and hemispherical combustion chambers, boasting 156 horsepower and an astounding 300 lb-ft of torque - good for a guaranteed 100 mph. While it could not match the Cadillac and Marmon 16-cylinder cars or the Duesenberg J in raw power, at nearly half a horsepower per cubic inch it surpassed all but the Duesenberg in efficiency.

Stutz built 10 Super Bearcats, beginning in 1932. Eight still exist. The Super Bearcat sports a dual overhead cam 8-cylinder motor (known as the DV32), displacing 322 cubic inches and producing 156 horsepower. This, combined with a shortened chassis and lightweight coachwork, allowed the Super Bearcat to exceed 90 MPH.

The DV-32 was a conundrum for Stutz; it was the company's greatest achievement and also its swan song. By the time it was introduced, Stutz's day was nearing its sunset. Between 1932 and 1934, fewer than 200 DV-32s were built. This is one of approximately eight Super Bearcats known to have survived.

This car was restored by Fran Roxas in 2000 and subsequently took Best in Class at Pebble Beach that year.