1927 Stutz AA Black Hawk Vertical 8 Boattail Speedster

This magnificent two-passenger Stutz Vertical Eight features a beautiful sporting boattail speedster body that has been carefully restored to a high standard. The restoration was professional and is presented in burgundy paint with blackwall tires, a red leather interior, and cycle-style fenders. The headlights are of the rare and spectacular “Woodlite” brand, which adds significantly to the sultry, appealing look of this stunning automobile. A rare orig­inal Stutz Ra mascot adorns the radiator. The Vertical Eight engine is a powerful runner, which has been completely rebuilt and expertly detailed. It has been color-keyed with a beige-painted block and red cam covers. Thanks to the overhead cam and dual ignition, the 298-cubic-inch mill is good for a strong 95 horsepower. This example still sports its orig­inal ID tag number AA-2-36601, and it presents well — ready for show or touring. Surviving examples are rare, and rarer still are they available for sale.

• CAR NO: AA-2-86601
• ENGINE: Vertical Eight Single Overhead Camshaft 298 cu. in.
• ENGINE NO: 87622
• HP: 95
• BRAKES: Four-Wheel Hydraulic Drum
• BHP: 110
• TRANSMISSION: Three-Speed Manual
• SUSPENSION: Solid Front Axle and Live Rear Axle with Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs
• WHEELBASE: 131 in.
• HEADLIGHT: Woodlite by Harvey Machine Co.
• STABILATOR: Watson Relaxed Motoring by John Warren Watson Co. of Phil­adel­phia, PA
• CARBURETOR: Zenith of Detroit, MI
• VACUUM FUEL FEED SYSTEM: Stewart of Chicago, IL
• HOOD ORNAMENT: Rare Stutz Ra Mascot
• DOCUMENTATION: US Title

The Ideal Motor Car Com­pany was founded in 1911 in Indianapolis, Indiana, by Harry Stutz and Henry Campbell to build Stutz automobiles. They entered a Stutz they created under the name “Stutz Auto Parts Co.” into the Indianapolis 500, placing 11th and earning the car the moniker “the car that made good in a day” after they built it in less than five weeks. They began producing more of the race car, called the Stutz Bearcat, and eventually became the Stutz Motor Car Com­pany in 1913, which would go on to produce high-end sports and luxury cars.

In 1919, Stutz left to form other companies, leaving Allan Aloysius Ryan in control of Stutz Motor, getting them into trouble for stock manipulation a year later, and bankrupting the Com­pany by 1922. The new owners brought in Frederick Ewan Moskowics in 1923, under whose guidance they pivoted to producing safety cars. In 1933, they began focusing on delivery vehicles, eventually ceasing production of automobiles after producing 35,000. In 1935, Stutz was again charged with stock manipulation, filed for bankruptcy in 1937, and was liquidated in 1939.

Stutz was revived in 1968 by New York banker James O’Donnell into Stutz Motor Car of Amer­ica to produce neoclassic automobiles and saw reasonable success, though production was limited. Sales began to wane in 1985, and production ceased in 1995, with only 617 vehicles made, though the Com­pany still exists.

Throughout its checkered past, Stutz accomplished many things. The Com­pany was credited with developing the underslung chassis and, at one point, was advertised as the “World’s Most Expensive Car.” Many celebrities pur­chased Stutz cars, including Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Evel Knievel, Barry White, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Lucille Ball. In total, Stutz produced 39,000 automobiles of various models.

The 1927 Stutz Vertical Eight Black Hawk was the fastest Amer­ican-built production car of the year, the successor to the famed Bearcat. It was the first “boattail” speedster manufactured by a major Amer­ican manufacturer and it took home the AAA Stock Car Championship and Indianapolis Stevens Trophy Cup. Debuting in 1927, a Vertical Eight-equipped Model AA set a 24-hour speed record, and in 1928, took second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.