The Bearcat began in the late 1960s by the revived Stutz Motor Company. The company had been resurrected by a New York banker named James O'Donnell. The Bearcat was designed by the legendary Virgil Exner and based on the 'Duesenberg Revival Concept car. A production version was not ready until the late 1970s. It used the GM A platform which it shared with the Blackhawk. Production was low, with around 13 examples produced.
by Dan Vaughan
Sedan by Ghia
Chassis number: 2N69R9X103216
The newly revived Stutz Motorcars were one of the world's most expensive automobiles of their era. They were hand-crafted and built in Torino, Italy, on an American chassis and originally sold for $74,765. All the accessories are 24-karat gold plated, and the trunk is fur lined. About 700 examples of the Stutz were built, and of those, less than 50 were 4-door sedans.
This example has been in storage for over 25 years and driven less than 9,000 miles since new.
The first Stutz was purchased by Elvis Presley, who later bought three more. The Stutz vehicles were popular with celebrities and wealthy individuals. Frank Sinatra, Lucile Ball, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Johnny Cash, Kenny Rodgers, Larry Holmes, Evil Knievel, Willie Mays, Mohamed Ali, and the King of Saudi Arabia all owned Stutz motor cars.
Omar Bongo, the President of Gabon, special ordered this car for his son, Ali-Ben-Bongo, as a gift for his 20th birthday. At the time, Ali Ben Bongo was attending Law school in the United States. President Omar Bongo, one of the wealthiest men on the planet, had at least three more Stutzs in Gabon, including a limousine. After Law school, Ali-Ben-Bongo returned to Gabon, leaving his Stutz behind. He entered politics, and at the age of 29, he became Minister of affairs. In 1991 he was made Deputy of the National Assembly and, in 1999, was appointed Minister of Defense. On June 8th, 2009, President Omar Bongo died, and shortly after Ali-Ben-Bongo was elected President of Gabon.
This Stutz has a 350 cubic-inch V8 engine offering 160 horsepower. There is a 3-speed automatic transmission, rear seats embroidered with the Great Seal of Gabon, and 24k gold-plated accessories.
by Dan Vaughan
The Bearcat was quite successful for more than twenty years, but it was put out of business by the Great Depression of the 1930's along with the Duesenberg, Marmon and Pierce Arrow. It may be its quick and somewhat unexpected disappearance that added a bit to its romantic history.
It was nearly 30 years that the Stutz Company had remained dormant when Virgil Exner went to the O'Donnel Organization in 1968. Exner had been a veteran designer who went to Wall Street to petition for financial and management aid in manufacturing a 'neo-classic' vehicle by using American engineering merged with the stellar artistry known from Italian coachbuilders. Exner originally wanted financing to create a new Duesenberg, and he was part of a group that included Fred Duesenberg, the nephew of the original carmaker. Together they had an eye-catching prototype but were waiting merely on funding before production could begin. Unfortunately for them, the project was not well thought out and they were immersed in serious debt. The loan was not approved at this time.
Several months later, a financer contacted Exner and agreed to explore the manufacture of a different vehicle. The agreement was made that Exner would be wholly responsible for the designs the financer on the management and the financing. A market study of the luxury car market was first made and conclusions from that study reinforced determination to build a line of custom vehicles with classic lines.
August of 1968, the financer visited Exner in Birmingham, Michigan, and viewed a sketch of one that resembled a non-threatening-looking Batmobile. This design was chosen the winner, perhaps because the front of the vehicle had a phallic look that created excitement. Additional opinions were received from the Pontiac Division at General Motors were John Z. DeLorean headed the department. DeLorean agreed that the project was feasible and liked the concept. He agreed that the firm-pointed lines of the design could only be created by hand.
The next decision was made on how much financing to put into the production and how to get it. Numerous questions arose regarding where the prototype would be constructed, what government regulations would need to be complied with, and the price range they should target. A name was also needed to proceed further. The financer had once had a Greek friend whose father owned a black and yellow Stutz Bearcat. Able to ride in it when he was younger, the financer had never forgotten the sensation of riding in the austere automobile.
Since the original Stutz Motor Company had been dormant for thirty years, the name was now public domain. They were able to use it, but it did take ten years of legal battles and fees, but success was finally won. With an initial capitalization of $100,000.000, the team eventually raised $1,200,000.00, the bare minimum needed for a project of this size. After they raised the capital, the next step in the process was to make the prototype. Exner fashioned a clay model of the new Stutz according to the vital measurement of a 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix. It was extremely important that the new Stutz body fit every centimeter of the Grand Prix, and when finished, the clay model had the exact look and dimension of the car to be made.
The manufacturing site picked was in Cavallermaggiore, Italy, which was nearly an hour from Milan, outside of Turin. The prototype from the clay model was made here and set up for subsequent production.
Stutz only made the handmade coach and the exquisite interiors, but it did not make any engine parts, AC's, radios, or electrical systems. Once Exner was pleased with his final clay model, plastic forms or 'skins' were made over the clay model, the process of making the skins destroyed the original clay model, and it no longer exists now. The body parts were placed in a large fixture where a Grand Prix chassis waited for the welding process. In July 1969, the mannequin was finally completed. The total cost for the prototype was $300,000 and would cost an estimated two million today.
The all-new Stutz Motor Car Company of America didn't make any parts of the car except for the hand-crafted interior and the handmade coach. Suppliers had to be found, and contracts needed to be negotiated to obtain more than thirty items to complete the production. The GM chassis gives the customer the best of both worlds, especially since parts and service on a GM car are available worldwide. Stutz body parts can be handmade in basically any good body shop anywhere.
Despite most of the vehicles being made based on practicality, a few pure luxury touches were also added. The metal fittings inside the vehicle, the steering rim, the window controls, and the cigarette lighter were all plated with 14K gold. The engine oil dipstick even featured this. With each new Stutz purchased, buyers received two gold-plated ignition keys.
In December of 1969, the first model was completed. The model was called the Stutz Blackhawk, a two-door hardtop and a convertible. The U.S. government had outlawed the sales of convertibles in the U.S., and a design modification was necessary to comply with these new safety regulations. This kept the Stutz from realizing its full sales potential for a status vehicle.
On January 20, 1970, the Stutz Blackhawk prototype was flown to NYC and made its official debut at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. It made an incredible impression on both the American and the International Press. This was an opportune time for a new luxury vehicle in America, more importantly, a handmade one.
A production Bearcat wasn't manufactured until 1979, and that model used the GM A platform shared with the Blackhawk, and it was essentially a Targa top coupe. The following year the Bearcat switched with the Blackhawk to the GM B platform. The exterior continued the Blackhawk's exposed trunk-mounted spare tire. For 1987 the base platform was now the GM F platform, with the trailing edge of the spare now forming part of the car's rear bumper.
Elvis Pressley bought the first car sold by the new Stutz Company. He bought three more of these vehicles later. Though only 12, or possibly 13, modern Stutz Bearcats were ever produced, it was a great example of a plush luxury vehicle.
by Jessican Donaldson