Stutz Bearcat

I took this photograph at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in August 1996. The only note I made about it at the time is that it was a Stutz Bearcat, though the board at the front of the car probably gives its full history. According to the DVLA record the registration number DS 8689 now belongs to a 1993 Honda motorcycle.

The Stutz Bearcat was introduced in 1912 with a 390 cu in (6.4 litres) straight-4 engine and in 1913 a six-cylinder version of 426 cu in (7 litres) became available. Production of the Bearcat ceased in 1924 although the name was reintroduced with a new model in 1930. The car pictured here seems to be one of the very early models.