spot_img
HomeMediaPick of the Day: 1971 Stutz Blackhawk, purchased new and owned by...

Pick of the Day: 1971 Stutz Blackhawk, purchased new and owned by Elvis Presley

Taking care of business in a Stutz Blackhawk

-

I have a “TCB” tattoo on the inside of my right arm. It’s not too big, maybe 2.5” x 1”, but it’s still prominent, especially the lightning bolt. I’ve had it for a decade and rarely receive comments on it, but I had a former coworker ask if I was a Tampa Bay Lightning fan. I guess the world has forgotten Elvis’ mantra of taking care of business. Fifty-million Elvis fans can’t be wrong and maybe one is in the market for one of The King’s cars.

1971 Stutz Blackhawk
1971 Stutz Blackhawk

The Pick of the Day is a 1971 Stutz Blackhawk purchased new and owned by Elvis Presley. It’s listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in St. Ann, Missouri. (Click the link to view the listing)

Elvis' temporary registration for the 1971 Stutz Blackhawk
Elvis’ temporary registration for the 1971 Stutz Blackhawk

“This iconic motorcar was the very first production Stutz Blackhawk ever produced and was delivered new to Elvis Pressley at his Beverly Hills, California home,” the listing states. “This quickly became Elvis Presley’s favorite car, and he would continue to drive and enjoy it until his new Stutz Blackhawk in the same color would be delivered to the Las Vegas Hilton hotel where he was performing in early 1974.

“At that time Elvis would gift the 1971 Series 1 Stutz Blackhawk to renowned celebrity physician Dr. Elias Ghanem who was not only his friend but his personal physician in Las Vegas. Elias Ghanem would continue to own and cherish his Stutz Blackhawk until he passed in 2001, where it was then put in a respected private collection.”

1971 Stutz Blackhawk
1971 Stutz Blackhawk

I normally associate Elvis with Cadillacs, but the grandiose flavor of the Stutz Blackhawk seems to be a natural pairing with The King. With its excessive proportions of a long hood and short deck, lots of chrome, side pipes, and spare tire mounted to the trunk lid, the Blackhawk is the ideal vehicle to express an over-the-top spirit with 1970s excess. Simply put, the Stutz Blackhawk is the automotive equivalent of a rhinestone-encrusted jumpsuit with a cape. Those grandiose notions are reflected in the car’s 24-karat gold interior trim and its label as the most expensive car in the world in 1971.

1971 Stutz Blackhawk
1971 Stutz Blackhawk

The listing states that Elvis owned three Stutz Blackhawks, with two at Graceland. This car should be a museum piece too but can be part of your personal collection for $399,500.

1971 Stutz Blackhawk
1971 Stutz Blackhawk

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

spot_img
David P. Castro
David P. Castro
The Santa Rosa, California native is an experienced automotive and motorsports writer with a passion for American muscle cars. He is a credentialed automotive, NASCAR, and IndyCar reporter that graduated from the University of Nevada. A devoted F1 and NASCAR fan, he currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife, son, Siberian Husky, Mini Cooper, and 1977 Chevrolet C10.

5 COMMENTS

  1. As a guy who only has a small five car collection, it is people like this that artificially inflate the marketplace.

    Ron Rebish

  2. We are mostly capitalists here.. (current member of the Democrat party notwithstanding).. so let them try to get whatever the market dictates. Why does it bother y’all so much? A profit is a profit.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Recent Posts

spot_img