STUTZ

Stutz Auto Parts Co. (1911)

Ideal Motor Car Co. (1911-1913)

Stutz Motor Car Co. (1913-1916)

Stutz Motor Car Co. of America (1916-1938)

Indianapolis, Indiana

This is a Stutz radiator emblem (1912-1926)     mjs
Size: 81mm wide 57mm high  MM: Unknown (some D L Auld some Robbins)

Harry C Stutz had many jobs in the auto industry before he designed a rear axle-mounted transmission and set up the Stutz Auto Parts Company to make it. He acted as consultant to the people building the Empire car but a few weeks later he built his own car and entered it in the first Indy 500 race in May 1911 where it achieved 11th place against much bigger, more powerful cars. The slogan for the Stutz car immediately became "The Car That Made Good in a Day", see Stutz advertisement shown below:

This is a Stutz advertisement (1911)   tom

The Ideal Motor Car Company was set up to go into production of the Stutz Model A which was a 60 hp four-cylinder offered in several body styles, including the now famous Bearcat model.

The Bearcat was a racy looking, open two-seat car with a long steering rod and a cylindrical gasoline tank mounted high up behind the seats. In 1912 a 70 hp six-cylinder line was added which also included a Bearcat. In 1912 also, the Bearcat was entered in 30 different racing contests and won 25 of them. The company was reorganized in 1913 as the Stutz Motor Car Company. The Bearcat continued to win races and in 1915 Cannon Ball Baker drove a four-cylinder Bearcat from San Diego to New York in a record breaking 11 days 7 hours 15 minutes. A light 23 hp roadster called the H.C.S. model was introduced in that year.

The Stutz was very successful and, as sales grew from 266 cars in 1912 to 1,535 in 1916, Harry Stutz had to expand his facilities and also wanted to manufacture his own engines. As a result, more finance was required and the company had to go public. By 1916 the company was under the control of financiers and by 1919 Harry Stutz had left to build a new car called the H. C. S..

In 1925 under new leadership the Stutz was redesigned to become a more refined but attractive automobile rather than a tough racer. The Stutz Vertical Eight arrived in 1926 with sophisticated low slung bodies. In 1928 the Black Hawk speedsters were introduced and won many races to become America's fastest production car at 106 mph. A less powerful, less expensive six-cylinder car by Stutz called the Blackhawk was introduced in 1929 as an independent make. 1929 was a troubled time for the Stutz company with several lawsuits and a new management was brought in. In 1932 the 115 hp SV-16 and the fabulous 152 hp DV-32 were introduced and the legendary Bearcat name was revived.

By now the Great Depression was underway and efforts were made to reduce costs and prices but sales fell and production slumped. In 1934 just six Stutz cars left the factory and it was all over for the Stutz automobile by 1935. In 1932 the Stutz Motor Car Company of America bought the Pak-Age-Car organization and produced the Stutz Pak-Age-Car until 1938. The Stutz Motor Car Company was finished in 1939.

Emblems

The Stutz that took part in the Indy 500 race in 1911 and gave rise to the slogan "The Car That Made Good In A Day" did not carry an emblem, see original photo shown below:

This is the Stutz Indy Racer (1911)  chuckstoyland

By 1912, the Stutz did carry a radiator emblem, see original photo of a Stutz taking part in the Santa Monica races shown below:

This is a Stutz displaying a radiator emblem (1912)    tom

The Stutz Model A carried an attractive red, white and blue enamel radiator emblem featuring an ancient Egyptian scarab wing motif, see example shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Stutz radiator emblem was used on most Stutz cars up to 1926 but is scarce, nevertheless.

This is a Stutz radiator emblem (1912-1926)     mjs
Size: 81mm wide 57mm high  MM: Unknown (some D L Auld some Robbins)

The following is an early Stutz hub cap:

This is a Stutz hub cap (c1914)   dkc

The following red, white and blue enamel Stutz radiator emblem was used on the very short lived Stutz Series HCS in 1915 and is very rare:

This is a Stutz Model HCS radiator emblem (1915)     mjs
Size: 70mm wide 50mm high    MM: Robbins

The following are examples of Stutz wire wheel hub emblems:

This is a Stutz wire wheel hub emblem (c1917-1918)    mjs
Size: 69mm diameter

This is a Stutz wire wheel hub emblem (c1918-1925)    mjs
Size: 42mm diameter

The Stutz Special Six, which appeared in 1923, carried a similar radiator design to that shown earlier but with the inscription "The Car That Made Good In A Day" around the outer edge of the emblem, see example shown below. This Stutz radiator emblem is much sought after by emblem collectors and is rare.

This is a Stutz radiator emblem (1923-1924)     mjs
Size: 81mm wide 57mm high     MM: Unknown

The following is a Stutz headlight emblem:

This is a Stutz headlight emblem (1919-1924)    mjs
Size: 50mm wide 38mm high   

The introduction of the eight cylinder Stutz in 1926 brought a complete change in Stutz emblem design to the green, gold, pale blue and black enamel Stutz radiator emblem shown below, which still features the scarab wings motif. The accompanying radiator mascot depicted the Egyptian sun god Ra, see also below. This Stutz radiator emblem is scarce.

This is a Stutz showing the new radiator emblem (1927)     sfam

This is a Stutz radiator emblem (1926-1927)       mjs
Size: 68mm wide 45mm high   MM: Unknown (some Bastian Bros)

Emblem collectors should beware as there are reproduction copies of this Stutz radiator emblem, some of which look similar to the original emblem from the front but have a round, internally threaded stud on the back.

The following very small metal Stutz emblem was mounted at the top center of an accessory tail light assembly, see later below, and may have been used elsewhere: 

This is a Stutz tail light assembly emblem (1926-1927)     mjs
Size: 29mm wide 18mm high     MM: Unknown

Stutz 8 accessory tail light assembly showing small emblem (c1926) ms

There was a further change in Stutz emblem design for the Stutz Series BB introduced in 1928 to a simple white enamel radiator emblem in the form of the scarab wing motif, see example below. This Stutz radiator emblem is scarce.

This shows the new Series BB rad emblem (1928)  ms

This is a Stutz Series BB radiator emblem (1928-1929)    mjs
Size: 71mm wide 28mm high   MM: Unknown (some Mayer)

The following is a white enamel Stutz Series BB hub emblem. This Stutz hub emblem is scarce.

This is a Stutz Series BB hub emblem (1928)   mjs
Size: 42mm diameter    MM: None

The following white enamel Stutz emblem is a smaller version of the earlier Stutz Series BB radiator emblem with different lettering. This Stutz emblem is rare.

This is a Stutz emblem (c1928)      mjs
Size: 54mm wide 24mm high   MM: Mayer

If you can identify where this smaller white enamel Stutz emblem was used, please let me know, in order to update this post.

The Stutz scarab wing motif disappeared for the Model M, introduced for the 1929 model year. The Stutz Model M carried a painted, cast metal, plain winged Stutz 8 emblem mounted on a bar across the upper part of the radiator, see examples shown below. These Stutz radiator bar emblems are scarce.

This is a Stutz Model M showing the rad bar emblem (1930)  significantcars

This is a Stutz Model M radiator bar emblem (1929-1931)  ms
Size: 192mm wide 60mm high   MM: Unknown

Some Stutz Series BB and Model M cars also carried a Stutz bumper emblem, see example shown below:

This is a Stutz Model M bumper emblem (1929)  sfam

The following is a Stutz Model M hub emblem:

This is a Stutz Model M hub emblem (1929)

There were new emblem designs for the Stutz Models SV-16 and DV-32 introduced for the 1932 model year, with painted, cast metal emblems mounted on a headlight bar and very similar enamel finished emblems on the hub caps, see examples shown below. These Stutz SV-16 and DV-32 headlight bar and hub emblems are rare.

This is a Stutz SV-16 showing a headlight bar emblem (1932) wheelsage

This is a Stutz SV-16 headlight bar emblem (1932-1934) ms
Size: 123mm high 75mm wide overall  97mm high 75mm wide base
MM: Base emblem (Mayer) Cast SV-16 (None) 

This is a Stutz DV-32 headlight bar emblem (1932-1934) ms
Size: 123mm high 75mm wide overall 97mm high 75mm wide base
MM: Base emblem (Mayer)  Cast DV-32 (None)

This is a Stutz SV-16 hub emblem (1932-1934)     mjs
Size: 67mm diameter   MM: Mayer

This is a Stutz DV-32 hub emblem (1932-1934)     mjs
Size: 67mm diameter   MM: Mayer

The following blue and white enamel Stutz emblem is a Stutz Model DV-32 trunk emblem. This Stutz trunk emblem is rare.

This is a Stutz trunk emblem (1932-1934)     mjs
Size: 100mm wide 39mm high     MM: Mayer