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Detroit Historical Museum Putting Rare 1935 Stout Scarab Car On Display

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - The Detroit Historical Museum is preparing to show off a rare 1935 car.

The public can get a sneak peek at the Stout Scarab this weekend before it officially goes on display Aug. 29.

The brainchild of inventor William Bushnell Stout, the car has aerodynamic styling and a spacious interior -- arguably Detroit's first "mini-van." It features a card table, repositionable seats, push button doors and a wicker-basket ceiling.

Adam Lovell, curator of collections for the Detroit Historical Society, says it's "the precursor, or the forerunner, of the minivan, 50 years before its time." Lovell says it's believed only nine were made and five survive. He says they're handmade and each different.

The Scarab is part of the Historical Society's automobile collection. It's been on loan at a museum in Maine for more than a decade.

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