As Buick Special Vehicles' Manager Michael E. Doble saw it, in the early 2000s, there was a gap in the market of custom vehicles: a particular niche for customs designed for families. That was just one of the reasons behind the creation of this gorgeous Frankenstein.
Just to be clear, the term “Frankenstein” isn’t used in a disparaging way. While Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein monster was an abomination in every possible way, the Buick Blackhawk is an outstanding example of how incredible things can be achieved from separate parts. It is a custom vehicle that is both historically important and aesthetically relevant.
You wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at it, but the Buick Blackhawk is a relatively new creation. In fact, it was built to celebrate the Buick centennial in 2003 but, because it was a nod to the past of the marque, it went on to adopt this Art Deco aesthetic that is partly inspired by the iconic 1938 Buick Y-Job.
It was the brainchild of the aforementioned Doble, and it was designed and built for General Motors by Advanced Automotive Technologies’ Steven Pasteiner, a former Buick designer himself. For the second time since its creation, it’s coming up for sale.
Doble thought that of the families who loved customs and hot rods, so he wanted the Blackhawk to be a 2+2 convertible. The Blackhawk, which is a fully-functional and quite impressive concept car, incorporates a variety of distinctive Buick elements, like the grille of a ’39 Buick, sheet metal from a 1941 and 1948 Roadmaster, the hidden headlights from the Y-Job. But it’s not just a tribute to the past, since it also includes modern features like keyless entry, power steering, power brakes and cruise control, power windows, and controls for the top and flipper hidden in the center console.
At the heart of this very sleek and beautiful custom is a 1970 Buick 455 CI V8 engine producing 463 hp and 510 lb-ft (690 Nm) of torque at 4,200 rpm, and is mated to a 4L80E automatic transmission. Despite looking like the automotive equivalent of a suave and soft-spoken gentleman, the Blackhawk is essentially a bad boy and it’s capable of sprinting to 60 mph (96.5 kph) in less than five seconds. As Pasteiner explains in the video below, it can burn rubber all day, if that’s what you want it to do.
Speaking of bad boys, in between spending time on display at the GM Heritage Center, the Blackhawk also made a brief appearance in the blockbuster Bad Boys II in 2003.
Because at the core of the Blackhawk is a 1996 Buick Riviera with the 3.8-liter supercharged V6 engine, and despite the fact that it only retains the VIN from it, the custom is considered a ‘96 vehicle. Speaking of burning rubber and whatever desire you might have of doing it in this gorgeous car, know that it’s coming up for auction with Mecum, during the Kissimmee 2022 event taking place between January 6 and 16.
An estimate is not offered, but given all of the above, don’t expect it to be cheap. The last time it sold at auction, with Barrett-Jackson in 2009, it fetched $522,500, including buyer premium.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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