Based in Indianapolis, the Stutz Motor Car Company first offered the Bearcat in 1912, just one year after successfully debuting the largely untested prototype at the inaugural race of the Indianapolis 500. Much like the racing variant, the road-going version of the Bearcat was a lightweight, two-seated sports car constructed around a low-slung chassis, which provided a lower center of gravity and improved handling. The Bearcat would continue to benefit from the marque’s ongoing racing experience as the once mighty Wisconsin T-head engine was eventually replaced with a more advanced Stutz-built, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine that was cast in a single block. Additionally, a new DH, or “detachable head,” engine design was introduced in 1921. Competing alongside other highly sought vehicles like the Mercer Raceabout, the Bearcat represented the pinnacle of American automobiles of the era.

This rare Series K Stutz Bearcat was purchased new through a Stutz agency in Boston, by Dr. William A. Hagins, an Army officer of the Medical Corps who would later serve as chief surgeon in the Southwest Pacific theater during WWII. About 10 years into Dr. Hagins’ ownership, the Bearcat was garaged at his Georgia estate after its cylinder head was removed for routine maintenance and never reassembled.

After nearly 80 years in storage, this Bearcat was discovered and purchased by Wayne Carini, host of television’s Chasing Classic Cars, in 2015. It was found nearly all intact and completely original with only 11,000 miles on the odometer. Concerned with preserving the all-original Bearcat, which Mr. Carini has described as the find of his career, early car aficionado Evan Ide was enlisted to provide mechanical and electrical repairs.

To preserve the original appearance of the vehicle, a second fuel tank was fabricated from aluminum to work with the existing fuel system. The engine received new pushrods and valve guides, and the original water pump was rebuilt using new old stock parts. The spark plugs and ignition wires were replaced with period-matching components. Ide also stabilized the paint and made minor repairs to the upholstery using sourced leather. The result of such efforts toward preservation is a vehicle that remains in astonishingly original condition.

Making its first public appearance after roughly eight decades, the Bearcat was presented at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, where it was awarded the prestigious FIVA Prewar Trophy for preservation. The complete journey of the Bearcat’s discovery and resurrection was documented in a special season-premiere episode of Chasing Classic Cars, entitled “Hey There, Hot Stutz.” Currently owned by noted restorer and antique car enthusiast Jan Voboril, the Bearcat has seen minimal use and, in 2019, was prominently featured in an early American motoring exhibit at the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virginia. As such, the Bearcat remains in the same award-winning condition as when it traversed the lawn at Pebble Beach.