Elvis Presley's - Stutz Blackhawk - Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
N 35° 02.786 W 090° 01.544
15S E 771295 N 3882238
This was the first Stutz Blackhawk ever sold, and to none other than Elvis Presley. Elvis’ favorite car and the last automobile he drove in through the gates of his Graceland home, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Waymark Code: WMY7F3
Location: Tennessee, United States
Date Posted: 05/05/2018
Views: 5
Among many of Elvis Presley's prized cars was his Stutz Blackhawk's. Elvis was the first person to own a Stutz Blackhawk, and probably his favorite car of the 1970s was his 1973 Stutz Blackhawk III.
Elvis last drove the Stutz into Graceland on August 16, 1977.
"Elvis’ favorite car and the last automobile he drove in public has returned home to Graceland. After being preserved and showcased during the Charlotte Motor Speedway AutoFair, officials helped return the 1973 Stutz Blackhawk III to its home at the Elvis Presley Car Museum.
Because the ’73 Blackhawk enjoyed special status among Elvis fans, as well as being so beloved by the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll himself, officials from Elvis Presley Enterprises decided to have the car undergo a special preservation process. The estate entrusted Pontiac collector and restorer Walt Hollifield to return the car to the condition it was in when Elvis last drove the Stutz on August 16, 1977.
The Stutz Blackhawk was built on a Pontiac Grand Prix chassis, chosen for the GP's engine placement far back on the frame. In 1969 GM introduced a new 'A-special' platform with an exclusive 118 inch wheelbase which was later named the G-body.
So the Stutz Blackhawk started life in the United States as a Pontiac Grand Prix. It was then shipped to Italy to be converted. Only the engine and transmission were kept as the body was stripped away and a new body and coach work added - by hand - not machine, to transform the car into a Stutz Blackhawk.
The very first Stutz Blackhawk prototype was produced in 1969. The Stutz-founder, Mr. James D. O'Donnell, drove this car. Mr. O'Donnell bought the first Pontiac Grand Prix on October, 1st, 1968 that was shipped to italy and converted into the very first 'Stutz' prototype.
The second Stutz prototype was built in the Padane factory, Italy in 1969/1970, being completed in April 1970."
Text Sources: (
visit link) &
(
visit link)