Yesteryear Collection

The sporty getaway car

The boom times that followed the end of World War 1 - the Roarin' Twenties - was an era of racoon coats, flappers and frantic modern dancers. One of the memorable cars of that time was the Stutz Bearcat, usually seen roaring down a country road with a rosy-cheeked playboy at the wheel. However the euphoric '20s gave way to a darker period and the 1930s became imprinted in our memories as the era of the Great Depression and the heyday of the gangster. The automobile became an integral tool for the gangster, as he sped away from bank heists, eluded police chases or thwarted rival ambushes. And, just as the times changed, so did the Stutz Bearcat. No longer was it the fun-filled, thrilling car of the earlier period. It was now a sleek and elegant automobile. The Stutz Bearcats of the 1930s were based on the idea that fine European-like sporting cars need not be expensively hand-built since America had the technological know-how to do it right.

In 1931, the Stutz Bearcat was offered with various chassis, the longest an imposing 145 inches. A 322-cubic-inch engine provided 161 horsepower and the large sedans cruised at 70 mph. The mighty power plant could push the lighter 116 inch Bearcats up to 100-plus mph. Indeed, except for the Model J Duesenberg, the Stutz Bearcat could outrun every American car on the road.

Now, a classic 1931 Stutz Bearcat is brought to life in a magnificent die-cast model that captures all the spirit and atmosphere of 1930s America. Precision-engineered and authentically detailed, your 1931 Stutz Bearcat is produced by - and available only from - Matchbox Collectibles.