1928 Stearns-Knight

1928 Stearns-Knight F-6-85 6-Passenger Roadster

Offered by Bonhams | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 17, 2013

1928 Stearns-Knight F-6-85 6-Passenger Roadster

Frank Ballou Stearns founded the F.B. Stearns company in 1899 to build cars under the Stearns name. Around this time, Charles Knight was developing his “Silent Knight” sleeve-valve engine and in 1911, Stearns became the first American automaker to use a Knight sleeve-valve engine in their cars. It was at this time that the Stearns name disappeared on the cars and was replaced by the Stearns-Knight moniker.

Stearns continued to run the company until 1925, when he sold it to John North Willys, who kept the company operating and separate from his WillysOverland mini-empire. Willys kept it open as long as he could, shutting it down in December of 1929 at the beginning of the Depression. This 1928 F-6-85 Roadster is one of two known Roadsters still extant with the 8.5-liter straight-six. The model was only offered from 1927-1929.

This car has known ownership from new and has recently undergone a five-year $300,000 restoration that concluded in 2000. It’s a big convertible, the sportiest of models offered from Stearns-Knight, a marque you don’t see very often. It should sell for between $125,000-$150,000. Click here for more info, and here for the rest of the Bonhams lineup.

Update: Sold $126,000.