Research Dossier — 1936 Stout Scarab

Origins & Concept

The Stout Scarab was designed by aviation engineer William Bushnell Stout and styled by John Tjaarda. Conceived as a “travelling office”, it used aircraft thinking: an early spaceframe/monocoque body and a rear-mounted powertrain to free up a low, flat floor. Many historians regard it as the world’s first production minivan thanks to its one-box profile, lounge-like cabin and reconfigurable seating.:contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}

Structure & Body

The 1932 prototype used an aluminum spaceframe body — probably the first car to do so — but production Scarabs switched to steel to reduce cost while keeping the teardrop fuselage shape. Later, the 1946 Scarab Experimental became the world’s first fiberglass-bodied monocoque car, again with the engine at the rear.:contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}

The long 135 in wheelbase and ponton sides eliminated running boards, stretching the cabin to the full width of the car. Chrome bars over the rear window and fine front grilles gave the Scarab its distinctive Art Deco look, echoed by scarab-motif emblems and vents.:contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}

Powertrain & Suspension

Stout used many Ford components, notably an 85 hp 221 cu in Ford flathead V8 mounted backwards over the rear axle, driving through a custom three-speed transaxle. Weight distribution was roughly one-third front, two-thirds rear, helping traction. All four wheels rode on independent coil-spring suspension, unusual for the mid-1930s and inspired by aircraft landing gear.:contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}

Interior & “Office on Wheels” Layout

The Scarab’s interior was radically different from a typical sedan. Only the driver’s seat was fixed; other seats could slide, swivel or be removed entirely, and a central table folded out so passengers could face one another. This flexible lounge layout, combined with large windows and a flat floor, anticipates modern MPVs such as the Chrysler Voyager and Renault Espace by about fifty years.:contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}

Production & Rarity

Stout hoped to build up to 100 Scarabs a year and priced them around $5,000 — several times the cost of a contemporary Chrysler Imperial Airflow — but hand construction and the radical design limited sales. Most sources agree that only about nine Scarabs were completed, many going to Stout board members and industrialists such as Harvey Firestone and Philip Wrigley. Today only a handful survive, making the car one of the rarest American designs of the 1930s.:contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}

Modelling Priorities for a LEGO Clone

• Preserve the long-wheelbase, one-box silhouette: blunt nose, high roof and a smooth, tapering tail with chrome bars and side vents.
• Use a continuous low floor over a Technic spine, keeping studs mostly hidden so the Scarab reads like a polished Art Deco capsule.
• Emphasise the lounge cabin: swivel chairs, a central table and a clear visual break between driver’s cockpit and rear lounge.
• Suggest the rear-mounted Ford V8 and swing-axle suspension with a compact Technic cluster over the rear axle and removable engine cover.
• Use subtle silver/pearl-grey body colors with light-blue and pale-green accents in the base or interior to echo period promotional art while staying within LEGO’s current colour palette.