Page 11 - 1971 Stutz

1 9 7 1 STUTZ BLACKHAWK SERIES I
Blackhawk body was constructed painstakingly and entirely by hand and fitted with a luxurious leather and wood interior. It was therefore true to Exner’s original design in every way and a direct descendant of the Mercer Cobra and Exner’s own Bugatti 101 Roadster.
The very first car sold by the new Stutz company was the prototype. It was bought by Elvis Presley, and the Stutz quickly became the darling of the Hollywood set, just like the Dual-Ghia and the Ghia L6.4 that preceded it: Dean Martin, Dick Martin, Lucille Ball, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Debbie Reynolds were among the glittering buyers. Frank Sinatra reputedly never bought one, as he was angry that Elvis got the first car. But it was not to last. The Series I Blackhawk retailed at a huge $22,500 in 1971, enough to buy about four Lincoln MK IIIs. Yet Stutz was losing about $10,000 per completed car. No wonder—buying a Pontiac, shipping it to Italy, throwing half the car away, building a brand-new body by hand and then shipping the new completed car back to the US was perhaps best described as a business plan straight out of Peanuts.
After a mere 25 Series I cars had been built, it was decided to cut some losses or the newly founded Stutz company would go under.
There was also the problem of the impending 5-mph bumper requirement, something which Exner’s design had not taken into account. Making a virtue of necessity, it was decided to use the complete Pontiac Grand Prix substructure, glass and bumpers, including the instrument panel and other interior fixtures. This meant a one-piece windshield instead of the split screen on the original and hanging new sheet metal on the existing structure and greenhouse as opposed to building a completely new body from scratch. Production was moved to the Carrozzeria Saturn, the price was jacked up to $46,000, and while the following cars remained luxurious, they completely lost the fantastic classic proportions, exquisite detailing and the delicate hand-built feel of the Series I cars.
It was a sound business decision, Series II production speeded up, and profits were made. Unfortunately, as the cars changed, they became known as an ostentatious extension of their owners. A Stutz became synonymous with Afro hairdos, bell bottoms, platform shoes, bad disco music on the 8-track, too much gold plating and Elvis Presley in his twilight years. All of it unfortunately eclipsing and clouding any serious understanding and appreciation of the beauty of the rare Series I.
Sammy Davis Jr. taking delivery of his 1972 Series II.
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