For Sale: 1926 Stutz Model AA Vertical Brougham in St. Louis, Missouri

1926 Stutz Model AA Vertical Eight Brougham 49 year ownership! The very first automobilecollected to the Guyton Collection, acquired in 1970 This is theclassic car that gave Mr. Guyton the itch tocollect the finest automobiles of the world! Included with very fascinating documentation with decades of interesting correspondence One of the earliest surviving examples of the "Safety Stutz" Quite innovative for the era; an ideal basis for restoration Green over black exterior with black interior and leatherette roof 287 CID SOHC straight eight-cylinder engine with dual Zenith carburetors, nine main bearings and two spark plugs per cylinder Three-speed manual transmission Centrally lubricated chassis with an underslung worm drive and Timken four-wheel hydrostatic drum brakes Wire-glass "shatterproof" windshield, reinforced running boards Stewart-Warner gauges Sporty, low-slung and attractive sedan coachwork Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) Full Classic Documentation on this Stutz is extensive. It has the original Series AA information book, printed in February 1926; the original Stutz Advance Catalog; two period Stutz advertisements; an original set of fold images "The Splendid Stutz"; a vertical-fold brochure; a manila folder with a copy of the owner's manual; original bill of sale dated August 29, 1970; vehicle registrations; receipts; a binder of multiple correspondence, ads and more Quite probably one of the rarest production cars to come through MotoeXotica Classic Cars recently is this 1926 Stutz Model AA Vertical Eight Brougham with some fascinating local history. This was the first classic car collected by Fred Guyton of St. Louis, Missouri in 1970 and is one of the earliest known surviving examples of the "Safety Stutz." This is theclassic car that officially gave Mr. Guyton "the itch" tocollect some of the finest automobiles of the world! His personal collection of automobiles just recently sold for over 11.7 million dollars and this particular Stutz is the one that started it all! What is particular interesting with this Stutz is the included documentation which has some amazing correspondence with Mr. Guton and experts on this automobile. Also included with hand sketches of the car by Mr. Guyton. Please see the photos and enjoy! Mr. Guyton was aworld renowned architect and partner at PGAV, responsible for Busch Gardens and other world class projects. Made at Stutz's Indianapolis, Indiana factory, the car's green over black exterior paint is in good, original condition, as are the glass panels and lights while the bodywork remains solid and straight. Brewster & Company of Long Island, New York handled the coachwork on this Stutz. The car's leatherette roof with Victoria irons mounted aft of the D-shape side windows, is in similar good, original shape. Mimics of those irons appeared on limousines, many other luxury and near luxury makes for the next 60 years or so. The side windows have clear wind deflectors installed, too. The car's engine bay is tidy while the double-tiered chrome bumpers are in good, original condition. This Safety Stutz rolls on Gulf Heavy Service tires, size 6.00-20 and each tire is mounted on body-color artillery-spoke wheels. The wheels and tires are all in good, original order. At the rear is a US Royal Fleetway tire, size 6.50-20 but there's no wheel. Under the hood is Stutz's 287 CID SOHC inline eight-cylinder with dual Zenith carburetors, nine main bearings and two spark plugs per cylinder. Backing this motor is a three-speed manual transmission. Innovations included a centrally lubricated chassis with an underslung worm drive and Timken four-wheel hydrostatic drum brakes. Other advanced features include a wire-glass "shatterproof" windshield and reinforced running boards. Inside, the black front and rear bench seats are in good, original order while the carpet is another reason this car is a restoration candidate. The wood beam headliner still looks gorgeous and bears a plaque from July 22, 1961, when the car participated in the Seventh Annual Antique and Classic Car Club in Butler County, Ohio. The four-spoke and wood-rimmed steering wheel looks great. The instrument panel with its wood paneling and full complement of Stewart-Warner gauges, is in very good overall order while the inner door panels are in good, original shape. In back are a wide foot rest for rear passengers and a bar affixed to the back of the front seat over which travelers could put blankets, coats, hats, scarves and mufflers. Hungarian-born Frederick E. Moscovics arrived at Stutz at the end of 1925. As the new general manager, he was given a "clean sheet of paper" and over $1 million to transform Stutz. He quickly scrapped the existing models and commissioned a completely new car known as the Vertical Eight with Safety Chassis. "The Safety Stutz" of 1926 was the first American production car to be equipped with engineered-in safety features, including a lowered center of gravity, four-wheel hydraulic brakes, a wire-glass "shatterproof" windshield, narrow windshield pillars for increased visibility and reinforced running boards that would protect against side-impact collisions. The body sat low on the chassis, because a Timken worm-gear differential made it possible to mount the drive shaft below the rear axle. Fred F. Guyton began his automobile collecting in 1970 at Classic Cars, Inc. of Mount Zion, Illinois, which offered this 1926 Model AA Vertical Eight brougham, a design developed for Stutz by Brewster & Company, the famous Long Island coachbuilders. It remained in his Mason's Garage museum ever since, a remarkable span now extended to almost 50 years. The car shows evidence of having been repainted over the original color, a pale blue, and a leatherette top covering and black vinyl upholstery installed, probably prior to 1961, when the car was driven by its then-owner in a parade in Hamilton, Ohio. It retains much of its original trim hardware, inside and out, including, significantly, the original wired safety glass windshield. The interior features beautiful woodwork, including the original "skeleton wood" headliner and handsome inlaid door caps. Some deterioration of the body's structural wood was found upon close inspection, although a restoration specialist may be able to stabilize it. Overall the car could be extensively freshened, both cosmetically and mechanically, for use as a caravan automobile but is perhaps best suited to a full restoration - something that Fred F. Guyton had long intended, and which would result in a significant Stutz indeed, as one of the earliest surviving examples of one of the Roaring Twenties' greatest designs. Today, this is widely considered one of the most innovative automobile designs of the early Classic Era and the survivors are still fiercely sought after by enthusiasts of the marque. Documentation on this Stutz is extensive. It has the original Series AA information book, printed in February 1926; the original Stutz Advance Catalog; two period Stutz advertisements; an original set of fold images "The Splendid Stutz"; a vertical-fold brochure; a manila folder with a copy of the owner's manual; original bill of sale dated August 29, 1970; vehicle registrations; receipts; a binder of multiple correspondence, ads and more. Competition to this Stutz in 1926 included Auburn's 8-88 Series, Cadillac's Series 314 Sedan, Chrysler's Imperial Sedan, Duesenberg's Model A, Lincoln's Model L, Pierce-Arrow's Model 33 and the corresponding Packard series that year. This early Safety Stutz example is a rare jewel of an automobile in need of a restoration by someone who can appreciate it for what ...for more information please contact the seller.