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Elvis Presley’s 1971 Stutz Blackhawk to Go Up for Auction

During the early 1970s, most American car manufacturers were focusing on designing affordable vehicles for the masses. Stutz Motor Company, on the other hand, wanted its designs to stand out from the crowd, so they created the Stutz Blackhawk, a luxury land yacht that was produced between 1971-1987 and was one of the most expensive cars on sale in the United States at the time.
Elvis Presley's 1971 Stutz Blackhawk 20 photos
Photo: Mecum Auctions
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The example in front of your eyes is one of approximately 500-600 units built over seven generations and could arguably be considered one of the most famous in Blackhawk circles. That’s because its first owner was none other than the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley.

Actually, the Blackhawk was quite a popular car among celebrities of the era, with other notable owners including Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, Dean Martin, Johnny Cash, Billy Joel, Elton John, Al Pacino, and many others.

However, regardless of Presley’s ownership, the Stutz Blackhawk is a highly-coveted car among collectors because 1971 was the first and only year that Carrozzeria Padane built the car by hand in Italy.

Presley is said to have owned four Stutz Blackhawks during his life, one of which was a prototype that his chauffeur crashed and was totaled in the incident. The second one was this 1971 model, a production model this time that was delivered to his home on Monavale Street in Beverly Hills on September 9, 1971.

It currently has just 31,856 miles (51,267 km) on the odometer and is set to hit the auction block via Mecum in November in Las Vegas. It is offered with a copy of the 1971 State of California New Vehicle ID registered to Elvis Presley.

The 1971 models of the Stutz Blackhawk were all two-seaters that featured a small jump seat in the back and a two-piece split windshield. The design of the vehicle was signed off by former Chrysler stylist Virgil Exner, and they all received 18 to 22 hand-polished coats of lacquer paint. Countless manhours went into the design of this extravagant car, with the painting process alone said to have taken about six weeks to complete.

This example comes with a black exterior over a black interior with bucket seats, a Nardi Torino steering wheel, and Chrome trim all over.

The heart of the car is a 7.5 liter (455 cubic inch) V8 engine able to output 425 hp (431 ps) and 420 lb-ft (571 Nm) of torque. The configuration was enough to propel the car from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in 8.4 seconds and allow it to reach a top speed of 130 mph (210 kph).

Elvis owned this Stutz Blackhawk for a few years before he gifted it to one of his personal physicians at the Las Vegas Hilton, Dr. Elias Ghanem. The singer even had the car fitted with a special plaque that read “Elias Ghanem A True Friend,” which you can see in the photo gallery.
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About the author: Ancuta Iosub
Ancuta Iosub profile photo

After spending a few years as a copy editor, Ancuta decided to put down the eraser and pick up the writer's pencil. Her favorites subjects are unusual car designs, travel trailers and everything related to the great outdoors.
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