The Charles E. Schutte Body Company was located in Lancaster, a southeastern city in Pennsylvania. The company began its business in 1918 and, according to Lancaster County Pennsylvania, A History (1924) by H.M.J. Klein, Ph.D., “conducts business in a modern factory on South West End Avenue, where about thirty-five skilled mechanics are kept employed in a factory area of 25,000 square feet. The company’s business is well-established and their products go to all parts of the United States and Canada, as well as to foreign countries . . . manufacturers of custom built motor car bodies, a line of disc wheels, bumpers, tire carriers, trunk racks, hoods, fenders, gas tanks, and all sorts of accessories for high grade cars.”

Schutte bodied cars of all manufacture and shared a special relationship with Duesenberg. At least five Model A Duesenbergs were bodied by the firm, including Augie Duesenberg’s personal car. The small firm bodied countless cars, including other high-end vehicles such as Cadillac, Pierce-Arrow, Rolls-Royce, and at least one Hispano-Suiza. Schutte is reputed to have built the prototype Argonne vehicle. It continued in business until 1930/1931, when the company went into receivership and the remaining assets sold.

Schutte body T-70 is referred to as the “Turtle Deck Model,” which was shown in catalogues on a 1919 Cadillac Eight chassis. This 1924 Turtle Deck Speedster was built on a 1924 Oldsmobile chassis and is a remarkable example of the craftsmanship of Schutte body men. The aluminum skin is stretched quite expertly over an ash frame. The seat folds forward, enabling one to examine the structure that resembles a beautifully crafted canoe from the inside. The Olds is fitted for dual rear-mounted spares, and it wears disc wheels mounted on wood artillery wheels, dual spotlights, and an engine-turned dash. Many custom features inside include a cigar holder built into the dash, a windless ashtray with cigarette holder, and a “fatboy” retractable steering wheel that includes both a matchstick holder and a stop watch. A very unique colored crystal faceted dash light shines while the car is in operation. Of note is the fact that there is only a door on the passenger side of the vehicle. Furthermore, an unusual custom aluminum radiator by Schutte is fitted, with a brass “S” located where one would typically find the emblem of the manufacturer.

Acquired by the consigner in 2007, the car has been both cared for and maintained and is believed to be largely original other than being repainted at some point earlier in its life. It has been used sparingly and shown infrequently. Most recently, it was displayed in the lobby of the Lancaster County Historical Society, where it was part of a feature exhibit on the Schutte Body Company.

A local piece of Pennsylvania history, this delightful Schutte-bodied Oldsmobile is an extremely rare and very unusual coachbuilt example of the Nickel Era sports car.