SCARAB

Stout Engineering Co. (1932-1936)

Detroit, Michigan

This is a Scarab emblem (c1935)    laam

William B. Stout had designed the Imp cyclecar in 1914 and had been chief engineer for Scripps-Booth before working in the aviation department at Packard. Stout continued in aviation engineering and design for many years after the First World War but took a renewed interest in automobile design in the 1930's.

William B Stout established his Stout Engineering  Company in Detroit in 1932 and built a rear-engined experimental car with an aerodynamically shaped body with no hood, looking rather like an insect carapace. The car was most appropriately called the Scarab. A production prototype was ready in 1935 but only about five cars were built to order.

A more attractively designed, streamlined Scarab was built in 1946 but did not go into production.

In the early 1930's, William Stout used his aviation structures experience to design a lightweight bus, using a welded tubular steel frame, which was built by Gar Wood Industries (see Gar Wood).  

Emblem

The Scarab had a rear engine so there was no radiator at the front but there was a front mounted emblem in the shape of a large scarab based on ancient Egyptian motifs, see example shown below and in detail above. This emblem is extremely rare.

This is a Stout Scarab showing front emblem (1936)  tflcar

A scarab design was also displayed on the horn button, see image shown below:

This shows a Scarab horn button emblem (1936)  michael furman