The Hollywood starlet's lesser-known luxury car: Lillian Roth and the Stearns-Knight

"Success walks hand in hand with failure along Hollywood Boulevard," mused Ray Davies in the Kinks' 1972 song Celluloid Heroes. The lyric seems apt for poor Lillian Roth, who was thrust into the motion picture industry in 1916, aged just six, and made her Broadway début the following year. She was in her prime as the industry moved to talkies in the early '30s, but before the decade was halfway through she had descended into alcoholism and turned her back on the world of stage and screen. For a few years in her late teens and early twenties, however, she was one of Hollywood's brightest stars, which explains how she came to own one of America's finest cars.

We are used to seeing actors and actresses of the '20s and '30s posing with Duesenbergs, Cadillacs and Rolls-Royces, but Miss Roth showed unusual discrimination in choosing a Stearns-Knight instead, specifically a 1928 H8-90 convertible coupé. For her to be in a position to afford such a car at the age of 18 is all the more remarkable when one considers that her feature film career didn't really take off until 1929, but she had for many years been a Broadway sensation.

The H8-90 was a big car for a petite girl. It consisted of a 6,309 c.c., 120 b.h.p. straight-eight on a 137in.-wheelbase chassis. An interesting distinguishing feature of the Stearns-Knight was that the engine was of a sleeve-valve design, though we suspect it was just the good looks and luxurious appointments which appealed to Miss Roth. It was a tasteful purchase—the H8-90 was a well-proportioned machine without the overt showiness of a Duesenberg.

Stearns-Knight production ended in December, 1929, and we are advised that there are just 23 surviving eight-cylinder models, but Lillian Roth's is one of them. It's been fully restored, albeit not in its original colours, so don't be surprised if it turns up on a concours lawn near you.

Words: Zack Stiling

Published:

Friday January 3rd, 2025

Steve Diggins

05 January 2025, 06:05

What were the original colours?

David Liepelt

04 January 2025, 16:39

A picture of it in 2011 at W.O.K.R. Meet in Santa Fe, New Mexcio, U.S.A.

Larry Lewis

04 January 2025, 06:21

My father told me that starting a sleeve-valve engine was difficult when they were cold. The oil had to be drained and heated up in order to get one running. I mentioned this to a friend who owns several sleeve-valve cars including a Willys and a Daimler. We were in his garage and he said that he hadn't driven his 1921 Stearns-Knight in several weeks. He leaned in and turned the key and it started easily. I was impressed to say the least and realised that my father did not know it all about old cars.

I was at the Hershey car show a few years ago and there was a sleeve-valve club there. Most of the members where under 40 years old which gave me hope. One man drove his across the United States from Boston to Arizona without much trouble. I was told that rebuilding the engines was quite easy as they only go together one way and that the cylinder sleeves and other bits are put into production when demand indicates.

David Liepelt

04 January 2025, 16:29

I live in Milan, Michigan, U.S.A. I've driven my 1930 Willys-Knight 66,000 miles in the 14 years I've owned it. They did have a larger six-volt battery than most cars, but I've run my car all over at 10° F. It cranks slow and likes to sit and warm up for 10 minutes, but they are a joy to drive. Unfortunately those Stearns cars never come out anymore. There is one sedan supposed to be at Willys-Overland meet next year. Thank you for posting pics of Lilian's car. Unfortunately it got painted red and black. I think it looks better with Lillian standing next to it.

The Hollywood starlet's lesser-known luxury car: Lillian Roth and the Stearns-Knight

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