Enter the ScarabThus, it should be no surprise that Stout is now regarded as the "father of modern aviation." Since the aviation industry wasn't all that receptive to his innovations, he took what he'd learned and focused his attention on creating an entirely new kind of automobile instead. The Stout Scarab is considered one of the rarest vehicles on the planet because only a few were made between 1934 and 1939. Some claim Stout Engineering Laboratories made as many as nine, while others say at least six came to fruition. Alas, only five are still known to exist.Each one was built by hand, so no two were alike. It came with an outrageous cost of $5,000 for that uniqueness, which is about $116,000 in today's dollars. In the 1934 Great Depression era, this was an unattainable pipe dream for most. Then again, Stout intentionally meant to keep production low at 100 per year, with sales by invitation only. The ownership list read like the stock market, and included Willard Dow (of Dow Chemical), William K. Wrigley (of chewing gum fame), Harvey Firestone (tires), and Robert Stranahan (Champion Spark Plugs).Stout's entire marketing plan rested on appealing to the wealthy first, many of whom were on his company's board, then to a broader audience. In a 1935 issue of Scientific American, Stout said he wanted to give the driver "infinitely better vision from all angles" while providing a lighter, safer, spacious, more efficient vehicle "without sacrificing maneuverability."
