Photo: Concours of Elegance Hampton Court
Back in the 1930s, William Bushnell Stout had an idea to create a car the likes of which the world has never seen. Using a unitized body structure instead of the time’s usual car construction that consisted of a separate chassis and body, the American inventor gave birth to what is now known as the minivan segment.
Called Stout Scarab, his vehicle proved to be a flop because of the long hours that went into building one and the steep price, today’s equivalent of $100,000. Rumor has it only nine of them were ever built, and the fate of most is largely unknown.
One Scarab will, however, be on display in September at the Hampton Court Concours of Elegance in the UK, courtesy of the owner now looking out for it.
This particular car is said to have hosted a high profile meeting between American and French generals Dwight Eisenhower and Charles de Gaulle sometime during the Second World War.
Whatever the two talked about in the Scarab didn’t save the car from shame. In the time that passed since the high profile meeting, it entered the possession of a circus owner, who used it as housing for his monkeys as his business toured Europe.
Following the circus career, it ended up in a museum in Reims, France, from where the current owner purchased it.
Now the Scarab is almost back to its former glory, having been restored in 2001.
“Our event is an oasis of the rarest Ferraris, Bugattis, Rolls-Royces, Maseratis and more. But in amongst the sea of motoring legends, visitors often find a truly special outlier – as worthy of its place in the line-up as any other, but without the big-name recognition,” said in a statement Andrew Evans, the Hampton event director.
“This year, the Scarab will undoubtedly be that car; not only is it beautiful, but it’s rare and relatively unknown.”
One Scarab will, however, be on display in September at the Hampton Court Concours of Elegance in the UK, courtesy of the owner now looking out for it.
This particular car is said to have hosted a high profile meeting between American and French generals Dwight Eisenhower and Charles de Gaulle sometime during the Second World War.
Whatever the two talked about in the Scarab didn’t save the car from shame. In the time that passed since the high profile meeting, it entered the possession of a circus owner, who used it as housing for his monkeys as his business toured Europe.
Following the circus career, it ended up in a museum in Reims, France, from where the current owner purchased it.
Now the Scarab is almost back to its former glory, having been restored in 2001.
“Our event is an oasis of the rarest Ferraris, Bugattis, Rolls-Royces, Maseratis and more. But in amongst the sea of motoring legends, visitors often find a truly special outlier – as worthy of its place in the line-up as any other, but without the big-name recognition,” said in a statement Andrew Evans, the Hampton event director.
“This year, the Scarab will undoubtedly be that car; not only is it beautiful, but it’s rare and relatively unknown.”
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