SHANGRALA'S

1936 STOUT SCARAB!


Introducing Possibly The First Minivan!
      Ron Schneider of Milwaukee bought and restored a 1936 Stout Scarab. It is believed only a handful were made. Many say that the car was ahead of its time and seems to be a minivan prototype.
      'I restored my Scarab to see if the car was as good as William Stout said it was,' says Mr. Schneider. 'And it is.'

            Here Are Photos Of This Rare Old Car. Enjoy! :)
 Shangrala's 1936 Stout Scarab
      The Scarab's front end, designed with an apparent mustache in mind. The car is the brainchild of inventor William B. Stout, who also dreamed up the first all-metal airplane and a folding house.

Shangrala's 1936 Stout Scarab
      Only nine Scarabs were built, historians believe. Mr. Schneider bought this one for $12,000, plus some more for another one that he used for parts for his restoration.

Shangrala's 1936 Stout Scarab
      The inventor incorporated the fenders and flushed window glass into the body to make the machine streamlined and noiseless as it drove. It also used lightweight materials for better efficiency.

Shangrala's 1936 Stout Scarab
      With its unique styling and forward-thinking ideas, the Scarab was very avant-garde for its day

Shangrala's 1936 Stout Scarab       A look at the driver's seat.

Shangrala's 1936 Stout Scarab
      The car was a challenge to the automobile industry to build something different,' says Mr. Schneider.

Shangrala's 1936 Stout Scarab
      The inventor William Stout lived in the Detroit area and had many business dealings with Henry Ford. Thus some parts are Ford-derived.



Shangrala's 1936 Stout Scarab
      'William B. Stout was a Michigan-based inventor, best remembered for building the first all-metal airplane and a portable folding house, one of which I own. In the 1930s, he turned his attention to the auto industry with his Stout Scarab, of which nine were made.'

Shangrala's 1936 Stout Scarab
      The logo on the Scarab's steering wheel. The car is named for the scarab beetle.

Shangrala's 1936 Stout Scarab
His goal: to build a car of the future. It was no bigger than a normal car on the outside, with twice the room inside.

Shangrala's 1936 Stout Scarab
      It had a table, moving chairs, and three cigar lighters. In retrospect, some say Stout built the first minivan. But the car, so radical and expensive for its time (about $5,000, which would be about $85,000 today), didn't catch on.

Shangrala's 1936 Stout Scarab
      Will Schneider, of Milwaukee, shows off his 1936 Stout Scarab, a model often called the first minivan. 'I paid $12,000 for one, and bought another for parts, then began a two-year restoration. Once done, I drove the Scarab across country twice. Along the way, I found Bill Stout's grandson, living in Phoenix. I asked if the car was like what he remembered as a boy. He said it was, down to the finger and nose prints on the windows, from people wanting to see inside.'

Shangrala's 1936 Stout Scarab
      It had flush window glass and fenders incorporated into the body along with a push button for a door handle, so it would drive without wind noise.

Shangrala's 1936 Stout Scarab
      Some thought Stout was a crackpot, at first. But his ideas were more right than wrong.

Shangrala's 1936 Stout Scarab


Absolutely Awesome!
Share With Your Friends :)


        


Share






^BACK To TOP^


For those of you who Want More FUN - Visit The Shangy Fun List! Variety is the
spice of life! The Shangy Fun List is an ezine packed full of Poems, Inspirational and
Heart Warming Stories. Jokes from G to slightly R, and Anything else that just
might make you SMILE! Join In The Free FUN!! ... :)

Yes! Click Here To GO TO THE ARCHIVES!-


share

Like This Page?



If you are looking for more, here are some good places to start:

More Animation!
Detroit Steel!-
Ford's First RV!-
Classic Woodies!-
Chevy Selling It!-
50s Concept Car!-
Vokner Mobil RV!-
Stainless VS Gold!-
Rare Packard RV!-
Detroit Autorama!-
Amazing Bike Car!-
Weird Old Vehicles!-
Sweet Wooden Car!-
WaterCar's Panther!-
Old Trains And Cars!-
Most Expensive Cars!-
Relics From The Past!-
City That Time Forgot!-
Classic Chevy Collection!-
Amazing Street-Legal Airplane!-
A-Z Animated Images!-

FUN URLS



BACK To SHANGRALA -To SHANGRALA-



Special THANKS Goes To LINDA And PAT DE ESPOSITO For Sharing This With Us.
Copyright © 1996 Netscape Communications Corporation. Mozilla is
a trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation.
Note: This is an Unofficial God, Jesus Christ, Family, & Cartoon Fan Site.
© All graphics representing Disney characters are copyrighted by Disney.
Likewise all other graphics & music Copyright © by their own Individual Artists.
I do not own any graphics on this site. If you do, please notify me and I'll give
you proper credit, a link, or remove it immediately according to your wishes.
~*~ Copyright © 1997-2015 Elrhea M. Bigham ~*~