Welcome to Awakenings

Life IS history in the making. Every word we say, everything we do becomes history the moment it is said or done. Life void of memories leaves nothing but emptiness. For those who might consider history boring, think again: It is who we are, what we do and why we are here. We are certainly individuals in our thoughts and deeds but we all germinated from seeds planted long, long ago.

Friday, February 1, 2013

The 1935 Stout Scarab

Scarab? I thought that was a beetle...remember, like in The Mummy. Of course, when I was younger, a friend gave me a scarab bracelet but that was way after the year 1935 and this article is not about beetle bugs or special jewelry. It is about an automobile claimed by some to be the precursor to the mini-van: The 1935 Stout Scarab!

 The Scarab was built by William Bushnell Stout, an aeronautical engineer in Dearborn, MI. William Stout was Father of Aviation and designed the Ford Tri-motor ("The Tin Goose") airplane for Henry Ford.


Stout Scarab on display in Genoa, Italy
(en.encyclopedia.org)
 
1935 Scarab at Owls Head Transportation Museum (Owls Head, Maine)
 (en.encyclopedia.org)

Photobucket
 via Google Images

Photobucket
 via Google Images

 Photobucket
 via Google Images

Interesting facts:

  • Total production = 9 cars with only 5 still in existence today
  • First car with concealed running boards, flow through ventilation and modular seating
  • Car known as "Car with a Bar"
  • A $5,000 aerodynamically vehicle well ahead of its time
  • Home to Scout Scarabs - in the garages of the Wrigleys (chewing gum), the Dows (chemicals), the Strahanans (Champion Spark Plugs) and the Firestones
  
William Bushnell Stout
Stout in 1947 with model of his skycar
(en.wikipiedia.org)

What is your opinion of the Stout Scarab? Did you have prior knowledge of this unique automobile? Were you surprised at its possible connection to the mini-van?



Posted by at 6:30 PM

6 comments:

  1. It looks like a cross between an airstream trailer and a bus. How many people fit in it? It looks huge, maybe the size of a stretch limo? Maybe Leno has got one. He's got everything else.

    ReplyDelete

  2. What an interesting post. That's an amazing-looking vehicle! I love the Art Deco look of it. I'm wondering if this car inspired the folks at Volkswagen to name their car the VW Beetle?

    ReplyDelete

  3. Never heard of it, pretty cool looking.

    ReplyDelete

  4. This is an excellent informative and funny blog post! You're a GREAT writer and even make something like this fantastic to read, even though I think it's a quite ugly car! Thanks for sharing Sharla!!

    ReplyDelete

  5. Your posts are always insightful, it was a delight to read! God bless!

    ReplyDelete

  6. Never heard of it, but I love it. Mind you, I love any old cars . . .

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)