staff@slashgear.com (Eli Shayotovich)
2024-04-20 10:00:31
www.slashgear.com
Inside was an array of features that few vehicles could claim: ambient lighting, thermostat-controlled heating, a dust filter that scrubbed out pollen, leather seats, a folding table, and power door locks. The dashboard, doors, and lower seat frames were all cast magnesium. The rear bench seat could be slept on, and the two passenger seats moved anywhere because they weren’t attached to the floor. The roof liner was made from wicker and had a woven basket appearance.
As The Great Depression wore on, sales stopped, and the vehicle fell to the wayside. On the heels of that economic disaster, World War II sprang up in Europe, causing many (including Stout) to cease regular business functions. After the war, Stout resurrected the idea as the Stout Scarab Experimental (aka Stout Project Y).
This iteration looked far more like a conventional sedan, but in more firsts, had a fiberglass body and a fully pneumatic suspension. Alas, that project never went into production either. However, given that Stout wanted his renewed attempt to have an even higher MSRP of $10,000, chances are it wouldn’t have sold well either.
It would take some four more decades before the American public was ready for a proper minivan. Many of the features found in the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager — flex seating, big side passenger door, spacious interior created by the lack of a driveshaft tunnel — can be attributed to the Stout Scarab and the man who built it.
[Featured image by Joanna Poe via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 2.0]