Opulence Defined the 1976 Stutz Blackhawk

The 1976 Stutz Blackhawk recently sold on eBay recalls a period in the 1970s and ’80s when neoclassic cars were popular. Neoclassical vehicles meld vintage design elements with contemporary powertrains and upscale interior appointments.

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Neoclassic cars drew inspiration from iconic automotive brands of the late 1920s and early ’30s. Many adopted the long hood and short rear deck style of the Mercedes-Benz SSK or Duesenberg SSJ. Unlike kit cars, which grew in popularity at the same time, neoclassic cars were luxuriously appointed. They were turnkey vehicles that appealed to a high-end clientele.

The Excalibur SS is the granddaddy of all neoclassics. Famed designer Brooks Stevens created the Mercedes SSK lookalike in 1963. That same year, another influential designer, Virgil Exner, drafted several design studies for an Esquire magazine article. The drawings reimagined Stutz, Duesenberg, Packard, Mercer, and other classic American makes as 1960s production cars.

Exner’s vision combined vintage upright grilles and freestanding headlights with the longer-lower-wider aesthetic that dominated ’50s and ’60s automotive design. Model car maker Renwal turned Exner’s sketches into 1/25th-scale kits. In turn, those models inspired full-size versions of the Duesenberg and Mercer.

Elvis Owned Several

Neither of those cars went into production, but Exner partnered with a New York banker to bring the Stutz to reality. The new Stutz Blackhawk clothed Pontiac Grand Prix mechanicals with an Italian coachbuilt body and a luxuriously appointed interior (including 24-karat gold-plated trim).

A Stutz Blackhawk parked in front of Elvis’s Graceland mansion

Production began in 1970. Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra vied to own the first Blackhawk. Elvis won, paying a reported $26,500 (more than $250,000 in 2025 dollars). The King liked his Stutz so much he bought at least three more.

Sinatra passed, but Rat Pack members Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. owned Blackhawks. So did Evel Knievel, Johnny Cash, Liberace, Muhammad Ali, Wayne Newton, and other ’70s-era celebrities.

Opulent Interior

Some 600 Stutz Blackhawks were made between 1970 and 1987. They went through several revisions and used a variety of (mostly) GM-based drivetrains. The Stutz sold on eBay is powered by a 455-cubic-inch Pontiac V-8 joined to a GM TH400 automatic transmission.

The listing photos showed the car to be in excellent condition. The seller acknowledged that the Stutz had an interior fire early in its life, prompting a complete restoration. Contemporary two-stage paint covers the Stutz’s outsized sheet metal. The car’s “show-quality” chrome plating represents a claimed investment of over $13,000.

The Stutz interior’s lambswool carpet is cotton-candy fluffy. The burlwood veneer and gold trim are all new. The two-tone leather upholstery matches the cinnamon and cream paint outside. Even the trunk is trimmed in what looks like soft, velvety wool. Or is that mink?

Product of the Times

Contemporary enthusiasts tend to look at neoclassic cars like the Stutz, Clenet, and Zimmer and wonder why. They were definitely a product of their times. What we now consider classic ’20s and ’30s cars were just starting the transition from old to collectibles in the ’60s. Their newfound desirability turned a spotlight on their handsome styling.

Neoclassics offered a way to own a car that, at least to the non-purist’s eye, resembled the true classics. Plus, they didn’t require the expense and hard work of maintaining the real thing. The price for all this opulence, though, was usually steep. The 1976 Stutz Blackhawk sold on eBay was offered with a Buy-It-Now price of $58,000.