The Stout Scarab was produced by Stout Engineering Laboratories of Detroit, Michigan. Among a host of novelties and innovations, the Stout Scarab is credited by many to be the world’s first production minivan. Apart from that, an experimental prototype of the Scarab became the world’s first car with a fiberglass bodyshell.

The Scarab was utterly unlike other cars of the era. Scarab did away with the chassis and prop-shaft paradigm of the era, and instead used a unitized body structure with an engine placed in the rear to create a low, flat floor and a very spacious interior.

William B. Stout, the car’s creator, envisioned the Scrab to be office-on-wheels. To that end, the Scarab's body, styled by John Tjaarda, closely followed the construction of an aluminium aircraft fuselage. As you may notice, design elements also included the highly Art Deco Egyptian "scarab" motif.

The car’s exterior was, at the time, perceived to be unattractive – and the Stout did not sell well. The main focus of the car, however, was the interior. By discarding the usual running-boards and expanding the cabin to the full width of the car, as well as using a long wheelbase, the Scarab offered a more spacious interior than any American car of its time. Space was further maximized by placing the engine outside the wheelbase, behind the rear axle, and moving the driver far forward, so that the steering wheel was almost directly above the front wheels. Passengers entered through a single, large common door, and encountered a flexible seating system, that could be configured in almost any arrangement imaginable, except for the driver, whose seat was fixed. There was even a small card table which could be fitted anywhere among the passenger seats if so required. Interiors were appointed in leather, chrome and wood.

Also, unusual for the day, the Scarab featured an independent suspension employing coil springs on all four corners. This provided for a smoother and quieter ride with very good handling and traction.

Priced expensively at $5000 each, the Stout was not a popular choice for new car buyers. In total ten completely hand-built vehicles were completed. No two Scarabs were identical. Five Scarabs are known to survive today.