Vehicle Description
Chassis No. F-1368
Engine No. F-1368
Introduced for 1928, Stearns-Knight's F6-85 Roadster crowned the
marque's penultimate model year, marrying the firm's whisper-quiet
288.6 cu-in sleeve-valve "Silent Knight" six-rated at 82
horsepower-to a lithe 137-inch-wheelbase chassis and handsomely
proportioned open coachwork. Priced at an imposing $3,250, the
Roadster was the most sporting of ten body styles, and only two
authentic examples are known to survive today.
Chassis number F-1368 was delivered new to a Dr. Frost of Edgewood,
Rhode Island, who enjoyed the car until his passing in 1965,
subsequently willing it to his stepson, Chester Worden. Worden kept
the Stearns-Knight for nearly two decades-registering it with the
Willys-Overland-Knight Register in 1973-before passing
custodianship to Delbert Pantel of Chico, California, in 1984. Two
further enthusiast owners followed: Norman Buckhart of San
Francisco and, in 1990, Pat and Anne Barnes of Willoughby, Ohio-the
latter being the granddaughter of company founder Frank B.
Stearns.
Between 1995 and 2000 the Roadster underwent a no-expense-spared,
frame-off restoration by noted marque specialist Art Aseltine,
reportedly totaling some $330,000 invested. Finished in two-tone
beige with red coachlines and upgraded wire wheels, the work
returned the car to concours condition, while preserving its
distinctive, matching-numbers double-sleeve-valve engine. The
process also incorporated thoughtful mechanical improvements
including a modern clutch assembly and high-speed ring and pinion
gears for improved touring capabilities.
The quality of the restoration was immediately recognized: 2nd in
class at Pebble Beach (2000) was followed by AACA First Junior
honors the same year, a 100-point score at the CCCA Grand National
in 2001, and AACA First Senior laurels in 2003.
Acquired from Mrs. Barnes in late 2010 by a dedicated Stearns
enthusiast, the Roadster continued to be well maintained and shown
sparingly, earning Best in Class at the 2011 Marin-Sonoma Concours
and Most Elegant Classic at the Glenmoor Gathering. In 2013, the
Stearns entered the esteemed Academy of Art University collection
where it was preserved for a decade prior to joining the Tom &
JoAnn Martindale Collection in 2023. In June of that year, the car
received comprehensive mechanical attention including fuel system
repairs, steering mechanism overhaul, removal of the transmission
and resealing of the input shaft, as well as a complete fluids
change. The $15,205 service ensures this example is properly sorted
for its next caretaker, and the impressive history file
accompanying the car contains many records, receipts, and period
paraphernalia.
Combining documented provenance, a concours-award-winning
restoration, and extreme rarity as one of just two surviving F6-85
Roadsters, this "Silent Knight" offers its next custodian an
opportunity to enjoy, exhibit, and safeguard one of America's most
technically sophisticated and exclusive pre-Depression
motorcars.
Please note this vehicle is titled as Model Year 1927
