lacked in practicality. By the 1920s, though, the company catered to
customers a bit more, adding creature comforts to its roadster such
as doors, a windshield, and a top.
Stutz’s relative success as a company boosts the Bearcat when
evaluating the overall scorecard of its battles with the lithe and
nimble Mercer. Long after Mercer was gone, and even after model
production ended in 1924, Bearcats continued racking up racing
victories and could still be found in competition through the rest of
the 1920s. Despite this, by 1934 Stutz had quit making cars. Today, it
is estimated that fewer than a dozen original Bearcats exist.The Bearcat’s minimal bodywork, including a simple hood
and trim fenders, kept its weight relatively low. It had no doors,
no windshield (a monocle windscreen could be fitted to the
steering wheel column), no cowl, and no top. A stiff clutch and an
intimidating hand-crank starter helped give the Bearcat a reputation
as a “real man’s” car.
As with later marques like Ferrari and Porsche, racing success
led to increased status among a certain type of car buyer. The Stutz
became the “it” car among wealthy buyers who could afford to
spend a bit more on a vehicle that made up in performance what it