Offered from The Tom & JoAnn Martindale CollectionDocumented ownership history from new, formerly owned by F.B. Stearns' granddaughterRetains its matching-numbers 288.6 cu-in sleeve-valve “Silent Knight” straight-sixExquisite restoration performed by Art Aseltine, with a $15,000 service in 2023Multiple award-winning example including 2nd in class at the 50th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance (2000)Believed to be one of just two surviving F6-85 RoadstersCCCA Full Classic
Introduced for 1928, Stearns-Knight's F6-85 Roadster crowned the marque's penultimate model year, marrying the firm's whisper-quiet 288.6 cu-in sleeve-valve “Silent Knight” six—rated at 82 horsepower—to a lithe 137-inch-wheelbase chassis and handsomely proportioned open coachwork. Priced at an imposing $3,250, the Roadster was the most sporting of ten body styles, and only two authentic examples are known to survive today.
Chassis number F-1368 was delivered new to a Dr. Frost of Edgewood, Rhode Island, who enjoyed the car until his passing in 1965, subsequently willing it to his stepson, Chester Worden. Worden kept the Stearns-Knight for nearly two decades—registering it with the Willys-Overland-Knight Register in 1973—before passing custodianship to Delbert Pantel of Chico, California, in 1984. Two further enthusiast owners followed: Norman Buckhart of San Francisco and, in 1990, Pat and Anne Barnes of Willoughby, Ohio—the latter being the granddaughter of company founder Frank B. Stearns.
Between 1995 and 2000 the Roadster underwent a no-expense-spared, frame-off restoration by noted marque specialist Art Aseltine, reportedly totaling some $330,000 invested. Finished in two-tone beige with red coachlines and upgraded wire wheels, the work returned the car to concours condition, while preserving its distinctive, matching-numbers double-sleeve-valve engine. The process also incorporated thoughtful mechanical improvements including a modern clutch assembly and high-speed ring and pinion gears for improved touring capabilities.
The quality of the restoration was immediately recognized: 2nd in class at Pebble Beach (2000) was followed by AACA First Junior honors the same year, a 100-point score at the CCCA Grand National in 2001, and AACA First Senior laurels in 2003.
Acquired from Mrs. Barnes in late 2010 by a dedicated Stearns enthusiast, the Roadster continued to be well maintained and shown sparingly, earning Best in Class at the 2011 Marin-Sonoma Concours and Most Elegant Classic at the Glenmoor Gathering. In 2013, the Stearns entered the esteemed Academy of Art University collection where it was preserved for a decade prior to joining the Tom & JoAnn Martindale Collection in 2023. In June of that year, the car received comprehensive mechanical attention including fuel system repairs, steering mechanism overhaul, removal of the transmission and resealing of the input shaft, as well as a complete fluids change. The $15,205 service ensures this example is properly sorted for its next caretaker, and the impressive history file accompanying the car contains many records, receipts, and period paraphernalia.
Combining documented provenance, a concours-award-winning restoration, and extreme rarity as one of just two surviving F6-85 Roadsters, this “Silent Knight” offers its next custodian an opportunity to enjoy, exhibit, and safeguard one of America's most technically sophisticated and exclusive pre-Depression motorcars.
Please note this vehicle is titled as Model Year 1927
