Vehicle Description
Formerly owned by auto collector greats: Harrah, Rockefeller &
Melton
Known ownership for 93 years!
Matching numbers
Featured in the book "Bright Wheels Rolling "by Melton
Ownership history:
1920 - 1924 unknown
1924 - 1949 Roman Kauewic, blacksmith from Wisconsin
1949 - 1961 James Melton 'Autorama Museum', Connecticut &
Florida
1961 - 1975 Winthrop Rockefeller 'Museum of Automobiles',
Arkansas
1975 - 2007 Bill Harrah 'The Harrah Collection' museum and Harrah
Corp, Nevada
2007 to present, current owner
James Melton, the famous singer and car collector, acquired this
Bearcat, chassis # 7171 in 1949. He recounts the story of the Stutz
in his book 'Bright Wheels Rolling' whereby he found the Bearcat in
Kauewic's blacksmith shop in Milwaukee and where it had been
sitting for 25 years! Once he acquired it he gave it a full
restoration, "stem to stern" nuts, bolts, plating and paint and he
recounts, even the upholstery we got closest we could to the
"hand-buffed Spanish leather" advertised by Stutz.
The present owner commissioned Pennsylvania restorer Paul Vaughn to
restore the car again in 2010. It still has the brass number tag
from Harrah's time of ownership in the engine bay.
Recently serviced by Bob Moiser in Santa Monica and fitted with a
fresh set of new Lucas tires.
One of the legendary models of American sports car history, this
example has exemplary history.
