The 1936 art deco-inspired Stout Scarab is
considered to be the world’s first production minivan but unlike most modern
family haulers, it has a presence that will stop you in your tracks. Only nine of them were ever made,
with one now heading to the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace in the
UK this September.
The particular example of the Stout Scarab is
rumored to have hosted a meeting between General Eisenhower and Charles de
Gaulle during the Second World War. During the 1950s, it was used by a circus
owner that kept monkeys in the car while on tour.
A French industrial designer bought it afterwards
and placed it in a museum in Reims. The current owners restored this lovely
automobile in 2001 and have since kept it in an outstanding condition.
The Stout Scarab is the brainchild of automotive and
aviation engineer William Bushnell Stout, who thought he could sell as many as
100 examples of it per year. Unfortunately his V8-powered coachbuilt creation
proved to be too expensive and too ahead of its time, with the project killed
off after just nine cars.
The tear drop-shaped Scarab was priced at US$ 5,000 at
the time, which is almost US$ 100,000 in today’s money. The cabin features a
completely flat floor for maximum space and comfort, thanks to its rear-engine,
rear-drive layout. The unibody construction and the long wheelbase also played
a big role too.
The Stout Scarab will be on display at the Concours
of Elegance between September 6 and 8, alongside every Aston Martin Zagato
variant and a special collection of Bentleys among others.
