American Retro "Stutz Blackhawk II" *pics*

[Ginge]

Hi gang, new to posting but a long time reader and lover of all things retro.

Spoke to a friend of mine the other day and he mentioned that this was leaving his workshop soon and I should pop down with the camera and take a few pics before it's shipped off to the south of france.

Thought I would share a few pics I got of it with you guys if thats ok










Hope I have not bored you with this post!

Ginge

[Ginge]

Oh dear those are rather large, I do apologise!

[stealthstylz]

I forgot about those, the ultimate in bad taste lol. Still love em though.

Matt

[Rich606]

All coming up "404 not found" for me

Probably the most bizarre-looking American car of the 1970s:





I remember seeing one in a film starring DMX and David Arquette. Ugly '70s cars were the best thing it...

EDIT: Ah, images are working now. Still, I stand by my post. Endearingly ugly.

[Team Blitz]

It's a Pontiac sedan with a body kit....

[Ginge]

Nice to see a few people love them lol.

Ginge

[alistairk]

I think I had a Matchbox or Hot Wheels one when I was a kid. Very odd styling, but look back at what the Custom (re)Styling guys were doing back then, its a factory version of the same thing. Iconic of an era. Not necessarily what I'd go for myself, but...

[Colonelk]

Thats hideous. I love it! haha

[Tim]

Apr 12, 2010 17:35:48 GMT Colonelk said:

Thats hideous. I love it! haha

Thats what I thought. It's fecking ugly, but cool all the same ;-)

[Camp Davy]

did it come with a feathered hat and a loud suit lol
love it

[qwerty]

I want one of them and a big hat! And a Velvet Suit!

[Camp Davy]

you forgot your golden cane with a diamond top lol

[Brian Damaged]

I think Elvis owned one in the early 70's which kinda says it all. I'd love one TBH, I don't think I've ever seen one in the flesh. Great pics though, thanks for sharing!!

[Ginge]

Apr 12, 2010 19:28:25 GMT Brian Damaged said:

I think Elvis owned one in the early 70's which kinda says it all. I'd love one TBH, I don't think I've ever seen one in the flesh. Great pics though, thanks for sharing!!

You are quite right, Elvis owned the first one and actually fought with Frank Sinatra to get the first one off the production line.

This is taken from Wikipedia.

The first production car was purchased by Elvis Presley (who later bought four more), with other famous owners including Sammy Davis Jr., Evel Knievel, Robert Goulet, Larry Holmes, Willy Nelson, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Lucille Ball, Wilson Pickett (1974), Billy Joel, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Al Pacino, Frank Sinatra, Joseph Denney, Tony Grova, Wayne Newton, and H.B. Halicki. Frank Sinatra had vied with Elvis for the first car.

For a 2500kg it certainly gets going quite well when he took me out for a spin, the end of the bonnent seems a mile away though from inside!

At 19 feet long its a monsterous thing but it stopped people in their tracks today in the town.

Some more from Wikipedia

With a steel body hand built in Torino, Italy and greater than 19 feet long, the production Blackhawk used Pontiac Grand Prix running gear, Pontiac's 7.5 L (455 in³) V8 engine, and a GM TH400 automatic transmission. With its engine tuned to produce 425 hp (317 kW) and 420 ft·lbf (570 N·m), the 5000 lb (2300 kg) Blackhawk could accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 8.4 seconds with a 130 mph (210 km/h) top speed, delivering 8 miles per gallon (30 L/100 km). Later Blackhawks used Pontiac's 403 and 350.

Hand built steel body!

Some more info about it here

www.madle.org/ebh.htm

Thanks for enjoying it guys was a bit worried putting it up as my first post

Ginge

[waveman1500]

There is at least one here in Adelaide that goes to hot rod shows, a nice silver one. I thought that it was someone's bizarre home-built creation until I asked my uncle about it and he told me all about them. Hard to believe that something so ugly and with such humble underpinnings cost so much money when new! Very cool cars though, and a unique piece of automotive history.