389ci Wisconsin T-Head 16-Valve 4-Cylinder Engine
60bhp
Single Updraft Carburetor
3-Speed Manual Transaxle
Front and Rear Leaf Spring Suspension
Rear Drum Brakes

*From the estate of Mr. Robert Randolph.
*Comprehensive restoration by Stutz expert the late Paul Freehill.
*Regularly serviced and updated for touring
*One of America's first sports cars
*The Car That Made Good in a Day

THE STUTZ BEARCAT

In the world of antique cars, few names resonate like the Stutz Bearcat. Images of young gentlemen in raccoon coats racing around the countryside with a col-lege pennant attached to the car often come to mind, and for the era, there were few cars as sought after and mythical in stature.

The Stutz Company and the Bearcat model were famous from day one. Soon after completion, Harry C. Stutz sent the prototype Bearcat racer to compete in the 1911 inaugural Indianapolis 500 race. The untested car did remarkably well, finishing the race and beating many established brands, earning the Stutz the slogan, "The Car That Made Good in a Day."

First offered to the public in 1912, the Bearcat was essentially a road-worthy version of the highly successful Stutz racers that followed the original Indy car. A radically designed sports car through and through, the Bearcat had just two bucket seats and no convertible top or windshield. Like the Stutz racing cars, the Bearcat was constructed around a low-slung chassis, ensuring a lower center of gravity and good handling characteristics in addition to its lightweight design.

The first production models were closely based on the successful Indianapolis car and featured proprietary Wisconsin engines and Stutz's own rear three-speed transaxle. A 50hp four, the 6.4-liter Wisconsin engine was of the twin-camshaft 'T-head' type, with inlet valves on one side of the block and exhausts on the other. It would be used up to 1917 when Stutz began to manufacture its own power units.

Although small by American standards - Stutz built a mere 759 cars in 1913 compared with Chevrolet's 5,987 - the Bearcat's competition successes en-sured that the company enjoyed a disproportionately high-profile reputation.

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

The early history of this particular Stutz Bearcat is unfortunately not known. It was advertised in Hemmings Motor News as a project car in the 1991. At this time, it garnered the attention of Mr. Robert Randolph. After a few discussions and reaching an agreed upon price, the disassembled project was delivered form to the shop of Stutz Legend, Paul Freehill in Indiana.

Mr. Randolph was very impressed with Paul and his knowledge of the Stutz marque and decide it was best to have Mr. Freehill assemble the car. Included in the project that Mr. Randolph purchased were many original chassis com-ponents, a genuine Wisconsin engine, and a transaxle. Luckily Mr. Freehill also processed many of the missing parts that were needed to complete the pro-ject.

The car was restored and assembled into a rolling chassis by Mr. Freehill be-fore the car was returned to Colorado. It was then disassembled and painted in its current color scheme by a local restoration shop ran by Rick Babb and Tim Stadler.

After its completion, it quickly became Mr. Randolph's favorite car. It was used extensively by him and was consequently the veteran of many brass car tours. Unfortunately, Mr. Randolph's eyesight began to fail, so he recruited a fellow enthusiast, Anthony Gonzales, to drive the car for him.

As a result of many miles of touring, the car was thoroughly sorted, and certain upgrades were installed to ensure reliability. These improvements included the fitment of an electronic ignition and 12 volt electrical system. The steering box ratio was changed to give a lighter feel, and the clutch was also updated.

Very few cars from the brass era are as charismatic as a Stutz Bearcat. They represent one of the first attempts by automotive designers to create pure, un-adulterated sports car that could be used both on the track and on the road with little to no modification. Sitting high up in the driver seat, staring through the monocle screen, and feeling the massive torque from a Bearcat's engine as you accelerate is a motoring experience not to be missed. Ready to tour, the opportunity to acquire this very well sorted Bearcat should surely be taken ad-vantage of.