Manufacturer Stutz Motor Company Class Personal luxury car | Production 1971–1987 | |
 | ||
Engine 302 Windsor
307 Oldsmobile 5.0L V8
350 V8
351 Windsor
T/A 6.6
6.6. Litre
425 V8
429 Cobra Jet
454 Super Sport
455
460 V8
472 V8
500 V8 | ||
The Stutz Blackhawk is an American luxury car manufactured from 1971 through 1987. Other than the name it bears no resemblance to the original Blackhawk (1929-1930). The Stutz Motor Company was revived in August 1968 by New York banker James O'Donnell. He joined forces with retired Chrysler stylist Virgil Exner who designed the new Blackhawk. Exner's design included a spare tire that protruded through the trunklid, a massive grille and freestanding headlamps. The new Blackhawk was prototyped by Ghia in Italy at a cost of over US$300,000. To offer exclusivity and still allow easy servicing in the US a custom built Italian body was added to a GM platform and engine. The Blackhawk debuted in January 1970 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Prices ranged from US$22,500 to US$75,000. All early Blackhawks were coupes, but rare sedans were produced later. Convertible versions were called D'Italia and Bearcat. Stutz Blackhawks became the car of choice among elite entertainers of the day. By 1976 Stutz had sold 205 Blackhawks and about six a month were handbuilt in Italy and shipped to the US. By April 1980 350 Blackhawks had been sold and by the time production ended in 1987 approximately 500 to 600 cars had been manufactured.
Contents
Design and manufacturing
With an extra heavy gauge steel body handmade at Carrozzeria Padane in Modena, Italy, and from 1972 at Carrozzeria Saturn in Cavallermaggiore, near Torino, Italy, and greater than 19 feet long, the production Blackhawk uses Pontiac Grand Prix running gear, Pontiac's 7.5 L (455 in³) V8 engine, and a GM TH400 three-speed automatic transmission. With its engine tuned to produce 425 hp (317 kW) and 420 ft·lbf (570 N·m), the 5000 lb (2300 kg) Blackhawk can accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 8.4 seconds with a 130 mph (210 km/h) top speed, delivering eight miles per gallon (30 L/100 km). Later Blackhawks use Pontiac's 403 and 350. Also Ford, Chevrolet and Cadillac engines were used. The handbuilt Blackhawk has 18 to 22 handrubbed lacquer paint coats that took six weeks to apply. Total production time for each vehicle was over 1500 man-hours. In 1980, the Blackhawk was redesigned for the Pontiac Bonneville chassis and 1985, the Oldsmobile 88 Delta Royale/Buick LeSabre Chassis.
Special features
Exner's design included a spare tire that protruded through the trunklid and freestanding headlamps. The fuel filler cap is positioned inside the spare tire on the first models. The interior includes 24-carat gold plated trim and bird's eye maple or burled walnut and redwood, Connolly leather seats and dash, instrument markings in both English and Italian, fine wool or mink carpeting and headlining, a cigar lighter, and a liquor cabinet in the back. There is a clock in the steering wheel hub on some later models. Other special features include automatic headlamp controls with twilight sensor, cornering lamps, bilevel automatic airconditioning, Superlift air adjustable shockabsorbers, Safe-T-Track limited slip differential, an electric sunroof, cruise control, central locking, a burglar alarm, non-functional exhaust side pipes, and a high-end Lear Jet AM/FM eight-track quadraphonic sound system. The first models rolled on special 17-inch Firestone LXX run-flat tires and rims. These were taken off the market however as they turned out to be unsafe.
Price and value
The 1971 Blackhawk's factory price was US$22,500; adjusted for inflation approximately US$120,000 in 2010 dollars. In 1974 the factory price had increased to US$35,000 (appr. US$153,000 in 2010 dollars). A year later, in 1975, the factory price was US$41,500 (appr. US$167,000 in 2010 dollars). In 1976 a Blackhawk’s base price was US$47,500 (appr. US$182,000 in 2010 dollars). And in 1981 the coupe sold for US$84,500 (appr. US$203,000 in 2010 dollars). Mint condition early generations (1971–1975) estimated US$32,000 to US$35,000 in 2002. After his death Wilson Pickett's well preserved 1974 Stutz Blackhawk was auctioned off in 2007 for US$50,600.
Notable Blackhawk owners
The very first Blackhawk sold was purchased by Elvis Presley on October 9, 1970, for US$26,500. This was the second Blackhawk prototype, as built by Carrozzeria Padane (the first one, built by Ghia, was driven by James O'Donnell himself). Frank Sinatra had vied with Presley for the car. Sinatra was offered the second prototype on the condition that the distributor, Jules Meyers, could show the car at the L.A. auto show, and get publicity photos with Sinatra upon delivery. Sinatra declined, but Presley accepted and ended up with the car. Presley had it customized by George Barris after purchase. In January 1971, Presley had a mobile telephone installed for US$1,467.50. In July 1971, a hired driver destroyed the car. Distributor Jules Meyers offered US$1,000 for the wreck, but Presley declined and put the wrecked car in storage. It was only restored, with non-original parts, after his death and can now be seen at the Graceland museum. Presley bought at least three more Blackhawks and leased one other (he bought a black 1971 for himself and a white 1971 for his Las Vegas doctor, Elias Ghanem, and leased a white 1972 and a black 1973, his favorite Blackhawk, which he purchased at the end of the lease; this 1973 car is also on display at Graceland).
Other famous owners included Dick Martin (1971), Lucille Ball (who got her 1971 Blackhawk as a gift from her husband Gary Morton with a dash plaque saying I Love Lucy - Gary), Sammy Davis Jr. (who owned two 1972, one for himself and one for his wife), Dean Martin (who owned three and crashed his 1972 Blackhawk with vanity plate DRUNKY), Robert Goulet (1972), Evel Knievel (1974), Wilson Pickett (1974), Luigi Colani (1974), Johnnie Taylor (1975), Johnny Cash (1975), Lenora "Doll" Carter (1976) Curt Jürgens (1977), Erik Estrada (1978), Larry Holmes (1982), as well as Jerry Lewis, Liberace, Willie Nelson, Lou Brock, Isaac Hayes, Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Tom Jones, Billy Joel, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Al Pacino, Wayne Newton, Barry White, and H.B. Halicki. The Shah of Iran reportedly owned twelve of them. Stutz collector Ken Ramsey owns at least ten Blackhawks.
Each car included a dash plaque naming its original owner.