Prior to World War I, Indiana was a principal center of the nation's automobile industry. Classics like Auburn, Studebaker and the luxurious Duesenberg were among the 256 different makes of cars manufactured in the state during the early 20th century.
From 1911 to 1935, Indianapolis' Stutz Motor Car Company produced some of America's most celebrated automobiles. Founded by entrepreneur Harry C. Stutz, the company's superbly engineered, high-priced sport and luxury cars, like the Stutz Bearcat, came to symbolize the Roaring '20s' quest for sex and speed. With hydraulic brakes and an early safety glass that was held together with fine strands of wire, the AA "Safety Stutz" sedan offered a mid-range model that was more affordable for typical families of the 1920s.
In 1996, the Indiana State Museum purchased this Stutz sedan at the Christie's auction of the A.K. Miller Collection of Motor Cars and Automobilia in East Orange, Vermont.
A descendant of prominent grain merchants, Miller and his wife had long led a semi-reclusive life in rural Vermont. He never possessed 
a Social Security number, never paid federal taxes and had no will or heirs. When authorities came to settle the estate following his death, $1 million in gold bullion was discovered in the woodpile for the stove used to heat the couple's home. Various safes yielded $900,000 in stocks and notes and $75,000 was found in silver bullion and coins in the crawlspace of an abandoned schoolhouse. Additionally, 50 classic automobiles, including 36 assorted Stutz, were uncovered in various barns, sheds and outbuildings.
Levine Restorations of Nappanee, Indiana restored the museum's purchase. The 1927 AA has been a featured icon in the Enterprise Indiana Gallery since the exhibition's opening in May 2002.