Page 14 - 1971 Stutz

Amere 14 of these rare and historically significant Stutz Blackhawk Series I cars have survived. Two remain in Graceland and will never be for sale. Three more are locked in important collections and not expected to become available on the market. Chassis 276571A172808 is car number 17 of the 25 cars built, originally black with black leather interior. In a telephone conversation with the author, Richard Curotto who was Sales Manager for Stutz Motorcars of America, informed that when 276571A172808 was first imported from Italy, it was landed in November 1971 in Quebec, Canada, as there was a stevedore strike in the port of New York. Curotto remembered that he had to drive the car across the US – Canadian border and down to New York City in a snowstorm, as the car had to be available for the New York Motor Show. Curotto therefore believed that car 17 was the one that was shown at the Show on Manhattan.
The car then spent a number of years on the East Coast, although the owners there are no longer known. In 2003, the car had come to
Las Vegas where it was owned by Paul Casey, a well-known Elvis Presley impersonator who performed daily on the Strip. 276571A172808 was in a tired state by then. It had now been painted white, perhaps in imitation of Mr. Presley’s world-famous jumpsuit, but the color did the car no favors. Casey sold the car in April 2009 to Erik Nielsen in Sonora, California. Nielsen only kept the car for 14 months before selling it to its current owner in Denmark via an advertisement on Craig’s List. As it turned out, there was likely a good reason for that.
The current owner commissioned a local California restoration company to inspect the car. In hindsight, one can only surmise that this company was either under the influence or somehow involved with the seller—although that did not prevent them for charging for their services. They produced a report stating that 276571A172808 was in substantially good driving condition. When the car arrived in Denmark via Holland six weeks later and it was taken out for its first drive, it threw the front wheel on the driver’s side after 200 yards.
1 9 7 1 STUTZ BLACKHAWK SERIES I
˚ THIS CAR˚
276571A172808 on its first post-restoration outing and shakedown. Note that the car is fitted with Kelsey-Hayes wheels.
14