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Details
1929 STUTZ FOUR PASSENGER BOATTAIL SPEEDSTER
COACHWORK BY WEYMANN
Chassis No. SC-32220
Engine No. DV-86281HC
Black with red leather interior
Engine: DV32 eight cylinder, twin overhead chain driven camshafts, 322 ci., 156bhp at 3,900rpm; Gearbox: four speed manual; Suspension: semi-elliptic leaf springs; Brakes: Lockheed hydraulic with vacuum boosters. Left hand drive.
Harry Stutz bravely entered his very first car in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 and proved its worth with a respectable 11th place finish, earning the slogan The Car That Made Good In A Day. The Ohio farm boy was on his way. A year later a Stutz placed third at Indianapolis just moments behind one of the famous Mercer Type Fs.
Stutz went on to prove their cars had both endurance and speed. Two sedans and an experimental Black Hawk Speedster circled the Indianapolis track in appalling weather conditions for 24 hours on April 24, 1927 in pursuit of the Stevens Trophy Cup, which the company won. Indeed, Stutz cars won every stock car race that they entered into in 1927 and ended the year as AAA Stock Car Champion. 1928 saw Stutz become America's fastest stock car, scorching over Daytona's sands at a two way average of 106.53mph. Then Stutz' competition fortunes soured as they lost to the Hispano-Suiza due to engine failure in the storied race at Indianapolis. A week later Stutz driver Frank Lockhart was killed while attempting to establish a new land speed record at Daytona Beach in his Black Hawk Special. The year ended on a happier note as a privately entered Stutz came second to a Bentley at the Le Mans 24 hour race, breaking the record for under five litre cars while doing so. The Le Mans finish helped boost the marque's prestige and sales in Europe, which is not surprising when the European-type mechanical specifications of the cars are considered.
By January, 1929 a corporate shakeup occurred at Stutz and Harry's successor Frederich E. Moskovics resigned as president, allegedly to pursue personal affairs. By the end of the year, Stutz and other prestigious auto manufacturers were feeling the cold winds of the Depression. While Cadillac, Marmon, Packard, Pierce-Arrow and others began offering twelve and sixteen cylinder models, Stutz scrambled to find a way to maximize its overhead cam Vertical Eight. The answer came with a new hemispherical cylinder head, an additional camshaft and sixteen more valves, neatly adding a new line of cars called DV32s. The Vertical Eight was renamed the SV16.
It is believed that in 1934 Mr. Lassiter's Speedster was brought back to the Stutz factory where it was fitted with an upgraded DV32 engine, as it was not offered as a powerplant choice on the 1929 models. Though it has been difficult to ascertain all of the history on this car, it would appear from correspondence between past owners that the car's original body configuration was slightly altered for competitive racing. It is thought that the Stutz remained in this configuration until the mid 1950s, when it was purchased by the Lindstrom Brothers of San Francisco. While in the ownership of these brothers, the car was completely restored to original specifications (retaining the DV32 engine) using as many of the original parts as possible. However, due to the car's earlier racing career, several items were missing or had been modified and, when necessary, were replaced with original Stutz parts sourced from other donor cars.
The addition of the DV32 makes this Stutz truly special. Very rarely was a DV32 engine ever installed in a 1929 Stutz of any kind. Mr. Lassiter's Stutz effectively combines the good looks of the Boattail Speedster with the high performance and power of the later DV32 models.
The Stutz DV32 on offer here is equipped with a four speed gearbox, Ryanlite headlamps, a Stromberg downdraft carburetor and a jack, wheel hub wrench and toolkit. Though convertible tops were not originally built for Speedster bodied Stutz', Jack Dietz was able to build a new driver's compartment black top and rear tonneau for the Stutz to complete the car's sporty look. Further recent work on the car also included a thorough examination and rebuild of the brakes. In September of 1998 Bill Lassiter and his Stutz successfully completed the 1000 mile Classic Car Club of America CARavan. This well driven vehicle has a fine patina of use. As Bill has demonstrated, it is highly suitable for car tours. In both the USA and UK, this Stutz would be welcomed in all manner of vintage and sports car events. It would also be eligible and suitable for some of the more recent and highly popular 'invitational rallies' such as the Colorado Grand.
COACHWORK BY WEYMANN
Chassis No. SC-32220
Engine No. DV-86281HC
Black with red leather interior
Engine: DV32 eight cylinder, twin overhead chain driven camshafts, 322 ci., 156bhp at 3,900rpm; Gearbox: four speed manual; Suspension: semi-elliptic leaf springs; Brakes: Lockheed hydraulic with vacuum boosters. Left hand drive.
Harry Stutz bravely entered his very first car in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 and proved its worth with a respectable 11th place finish, earning the slogan The Car That Made Good In A Day. The Ohio farm boy was on his way. A year later a Stutz placed third at Indianapolis just moments behind one of the famous Mercer Type Fs.
Stutz went on to prove their cars had both endurance and speed. Two sedans and an experimental Black Hawk Speedster circled the Indianapolis track in appalling weather conditions for 24 hours on April 24, 1927 in pursuit of the Stevens Trophy Cup, which the company won. Indeed, Stutz cars won every stock car race that they entered into in 1927 and ended the year as AAA Stock Car Champion. 1928 saw Stutz become America's fastest stock car, scorching over Daytona's sands at a two way average of 106.53mph. Then Stutz' competition fortunes soured as they lost to the Hispano-Suiza due to engine failure in the storied race at Indianapolis. A week later Stutz driver Frank Lockhart was killed while attempting to establish a new land speed record at Daytona Beach in his Black Hawk Special. The year ended on a happier note as a privately entered Stutz came second to a Bentley at the Le Mans 24 hour race, breaking the record for under five litre cars while doing so. The Le Mans finish helped boost the marque's prestige and sales in Europe, which is not surprising when the European-type mechanical specifications of the cars are considered.
By January, 1929 a corporate shakeup occurred at Stutz and Harry's successor Frederich E. Moskovics resigned as president, allegedly to pursue personal affairs. By the end of the year, Stutz and other prestigious auto manufacturers were feeling the cold winds of the Depression. While Cadillac, Marmon, Packard, Pierce-Arrow and others began offering twelve and sixteen cylinder models, Stutz scrambled to find a way to maximize its overhead cam Vertical Eight. The answer came with a new hemispherical cylinder head, an additional camshaft and sixteen more valves, neatly adding a new line of cars called DV32s. The Vertical Eight was renamed the SV16.
It is believed that in 1934 Mr. Lassiter's Speedster was brought back to the Stutz factory where it was fitted with an upgraded DV32 engine, as it was not offered as a powerplant choice on the 1929 models. Though it has been difficult to ascertain all of the history on this car, it would appear from correspondence between past owners that the car's original body configuration was slightly altered for competitive racing. It is thought that the Stutz remained in this configuration until the mid 1950s, when it was purchased by the Lindstrom Brothers of San Francisco. While in the ownership of these brothers, the car was completely restored to original specifications (retaining the DV32 engine) using as many of the original parts as possible. However, due to the car's earlier racing career, several items were missing or had been modified and, when necessary, were replaced with original Stutz parts sourced from other donor cars.
The addition of the DV32 makes this Stutz truly special. Very rarely was a DV32 engine ever installed in a 1929 Stutz of any kind. Mr. Lassiter's Stutz effectively combines the good looks of the Boattail Speedster with the high performance and power of the later DV32 models.
The Stutz DV32 on offer here is equipped with a four speed gearbox, Ryanlite headlamps, a Stromberg downdraft carburetor and a jack, wheel hub wrench and toolkit. Though convertible tops were not originally built for Speedster bodied Stutz', Jack Dietz was able to build a new driver's compartment black top and rear tonneau for the Stutz to complete the car's sporty look. Further recent work on the car also included a thorough examination and rebuild of the brakes. In September of 1998 Bill Lassiter and his Stutz successfully completed the 1000 mile Classic Car Club of America CARavan. This well driven vehicle has a fine patina of use. As Bill has demonstrated, it is highly suitable for car tours. In both the USA and UK, this Stutz would be welcomed in all manner of vintage and sports car events. It would also be eligible and suitable for some of the more recent and highly popular 'invitational rallies' such as the Colorado Grand.