Harry C. Stutz
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Harry Clayton Stutz (September 12, 1876 – June 26, 1930) was an American
automobile A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...
manufacturer, entrepreneur, self-taught engineer, and innovator in the
automobile industry The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, selling, repairing, and modification of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by ...
. Stutz was part of the burgeoning
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
automotive industry of the early 20th century, where he founded the Ideal Motor Car Company, later known as the
Stutz Motor Car Company The Stutz Motor Car Company was an American automobile manufacturer based in Indianapolis, Indiana that produced high-end sports and luxury cars. The company was founded in 1911 as the Ideal Motor Car Company before merging with the Stutz ...
, and the short-lived
H. C. S. Motor Car Company H. C. S. Motor Car Company was an automobile manufacturer in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It may have built as many as 3,000 cars between the summer of 1920 and 1926, when its doors were closed by its creditors. Incorporation H. C. S. ...
.


Early life

Harry Stutz was born On September 12, 1876, near
Ansonia, Ohio Ansonia is a village in Darke County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,160 at the 2020 census. History Ansonia was founded in 1845 under the name of "Dallas." The village initially grew slowly; significant expansion only came after t ...
, to farmer Henry J. Stutz and his wife Elizabeth (née Schneider). Upon finishing his schooling, Stutz moved to
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
. He worked for the
Davis Sewing Machine Company The Davis Sewing Machine Company began in 1868 in Watertown, New York, and moved to Dayton, Ohio, around 1890. History Early Davis sewing machines, known as their "Vertical Feed" machines, did not use the conventional four motion feed, as invent ...
and
National Cash Register NCR Voyix Corporation, previously known as NCR Corporation and National Cash Register, is a global software, consulting and technology company providing several professional services and electronic products. It manufactured self-service kios ...
before he opened a machine shop and repair business in 1897. Stutz grew up caring for and repairing agricultural machinery on the family farm and was fascinated by automobiles. Stutz built his first car in 1897, and in 1900 he built a second automobile using a gasoline engine of his own design and manufacture. In 1899, Stutz established the Stutz Manufacturing Company in Dayton to produce engines. In 1902, the Lindsay Automobile Parts Company of Indianapolis sought to use his engines at their Indianapolis manufacturing facility. The two companies merged that year, bringing Stutz to Indianapolis.


Move to Indianapolis

Upon arrival in Indianapolis, Stutz continued to work within the newly-founded automotive industry. With two other investors he established Central Motor Car Company but moved on to the Schebler Carburetor Company at the end of 1904 to sell their carburetors.Larson, C. (2000, February). Stutz, Harry Clayton (1876-1930), automobile manufacturer. ''American National Biography.'' Ed. Retrieved 21 Sep. 2018, fro

/ref> In 1905, Stutz designed a car for the
American Motor Car Company The American Motor Car Company was a short-lived company in the automotive industry founded in 1906, lasting until 1913. It was based in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The American Motor Car Company pioneered the "underslung" design. ...
. In 1907, Stutz became the chief engineer and factory manager at the Marion Motor Car Company. At Marion, he became one of the company's racing drivers competing in local Indianapolis races. Stutz formed the Stutz Auto Parts Company in 1910 to manufacture his newly patented
transaxle A transaxle is single mechanical device which combines the functions of an automobile's transmission (mechanics), transmission, axle, and differential (mechanics), differential into one integrated assembly. It can be produced in both manual tra ...
design. Stutz came to the attention of the founders of the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a motor racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400, and and formerly the home of the U ...
, who had formed the Empire Motor Car Company in 1909. Stutz was brought on as the designer of the group's first automobile, the
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
.


Stutz Motor Car Company

Building upon his success with the Empire, Stutz sought to enter a car in the upcoming Indianapolis 500-mile race. In a five-week period, Stutz designed and built his own car and entered it in the race. This car was named the Bear Cat, a prototype of what later became the
Stutz Bearcat The Stutz Bearcat was an American sports car of the pre– and post–World War I period. Essentially, the Bearcat was a shorter ( wheelbase vs ), lighter version of the standard Stutz Motor Company, Stutz passenger car's chassis. It was origin ...
. Stutz's car was driven by
Gil Andersen Gilbert J. Andersen (born Gulbrand, November 27, 1879 – September 20, 1930) was an American racing driver active during the formative years of auto racing. Biography Andersen was born on November 27, 1879, in Horten, Vestfold county, Norwa ...
with mechanic Frank Agan and placed 11th in the inaugural Indianapolis 500-mile Race. The Bear Cat suffered no mechanical defects, with Andersen and Agan only stopping for tires and fuel. Stutz immediately set about putting his Bear Cat into production, with the slogan "the car that made good in a day." Stutz, with financial backing from Henry F. Campbell, founded the Ideal Motor Car Company in June 1911 to begin production of their new automobile. The Ideal Motor Car Company opened a factory on the northwest side of downtown Indianapolis. In 1913, Stutz merged Ideal with the Stutz Auto Parts Company to create the
Stutz Motor Car Company The Stutz Motor Car Company was an American automobile manufacturer based in Indianapolis, Indiana that produced high-end sports and luxury cars. The company was founded in 1911 as the Ideal Motor Car Company before merging with the Stutz ...
. In the first four years of production Stutz sold over 3,000 vehicles and expanded its operations. By 1920, the manufacturing factory encompassed an entire city block.To find more capital for his prospering business, Stutz fell in with a New York stockbroker, Allan A. Ryan. In 1916, Stutz Motor Car Company of America was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Ryan now controlled the business, with Stutz staying on as president. Uncomfortable with Ryan's business style, Harry Stutz resigned from the Stutz Motor Car Company in 1919. Ryan lost his controlling interest and was forced to sell the company to an investment group that included
Charles M. Schwab Charles Michael Schwab (February 18, 1862 – September 18, 1939) was an American steel magnate. Under his leadership, Bethlehem Steel became the second-largest steel maker in the United States, and one of the most important heavy manufacturer ...
. The company remained solvent throughout the 1920s, but various lawsuits and contract disputes, coupled with the weakened automobile market from the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, caused the company to fold by the end of the 1930s.


H. C. S. Motor Car Company

Shortly after leaving the Stutz Motor Car Company, Harry Stutz re-entered the automotive industry by founding the
H. C. S. Motor Car Company H. C. S. Motor Car Company was an automobile manufacturer in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It may have built as many as 3,000 cars between the summer of 1920 and 1926, when its doors were closed by its creditors. Incorporation H. C. S. ...
. Stutz reenlisted the help of Henry Campbell, and was able to raise $1,000,000 in capital by late 1919. H. C. S. focused on sportscars and roadsters, and by 1920 had vehicles available for dealers. The first H. C. S. vehicle, named the H. C. S. Special, was advertised beginning in February 1920, with Stutz's cousin, Charles E. Stutz, listed as the sole Indiana distributor. In 1924, Stutz expanded the H. C. S. business, introducing the new H. C. S. taxicab. Stutz sought to corner the market on wholesale buying of
taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a Driving, driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of thei ...
s as their demand grew in the 1920s. The H. C. S. Motor Car Company was purchased by the newly-formed H. C. S. Cab Manufacturing Company. Stutz and Campbell continued to run the operation from their North Capitol Avenue manufacturing plant, manufacturing both taxicabs and automobiles. The H. C. S. taxicabs were met with positive reception and Stutz showcased the newly-designed vehicles in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. In 1926, Stutz closed H. C. S. Motor Car Company and moved to Florida.


Other automotive ventures

Stutz began manufacturing fire engines with the Stutz Fire Engine Company in 1920. The Stutz Fire Engine Company ran concurrently with the H. C. S. Motor Car Company, occupying two buildings in the same complex on North Capitol Avenue in Indianapolis. Stutz sold the fire engines to several fire departments in Indiana and the coasts as municipal firefighting services began to switch to motorized vehicles in the 1920s. Stutz sold his interest in the fire engine company in 1926. In 1929, Stutz designed a four-cylinder engine for the Stutz-Bellanca Airplane Company.


Personal life

In 1898, Stutz married Clara Marie Dietz (1880-1956). Clara and Harry had one daughter, Emma (1901-1992). Harry and Clara followed Indiana automotive pioneer Carl G. Fisher by moving to
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, where they settled in
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
. They maintained a residence in Indianapolis, a sprawling 10-bedroom mansion at 3172 North Meridian Street (now 3190 North Meridian Street). Harry and Clara divorced in 1925. Stutz re-married to Blanche Clark Miller in 1926, and they subsequently moved to
Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
. Their marriage was the subject of national news, as Blanche's former husband sued Stutz for "alienation of affection," seeking $50,000 in damages. Stutz was an active member of Indianapolis society. He belonged to the
Indianapolis Athletic Club The Indianapolis Athletic Club was founded in 1886 and quickly became a premiere private club for Indiana businessmen and society elite. It was especially active in Indiana Democratic politics. Credited with fielding one of the first football teams ...
, and was elected its vice-president in 1920 and again in 1925.


Death and legacy

Stutz suffered an inflamed appendix during a June 1930 car trip from Orlando to Indianapolis. Upon arrival in Indianapolis, Stutz was admitted to Methodist Hospital where he underwent surgery to remove his appendix. The surgery was initially reported as successful, and Stutz was listed in fair condition. Despite the initial report, Stutz died the following day, June 26, 1930. Stutz is buried at
Crown Hill Cemetery Crown Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located at 700 West 38th Street in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. The privately owned cemetery was established in 1863 at Strawberry Hill, whose summit was renamed "The Crown", a high poi ...
in Indianapolis. Stutz was inducted into the
Automotive Hall of Fame The Automotive Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum honoring influential figures in the history of the automotive industry. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, US. The Hall of Fame is part of the MotorCities National Herita ...
in 1993.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stutz, Harry C. 1876 births 1930 deaths People from Darke County, Ohio American people of German descent American founders of automobile manufacturers American automotive pioneers American automotive engineers American automobile designers Businesspeople from Indianapolis Burials at Crown Hill Cemetery