His Beloved Stutz Blackhawk Motorcar
The “Wickett Stutz”, is a beloved “Toy” purchased by Wilson in 1974. The Gold Stutz Key worn around his neck became a symbol of the late great, Wilson Pickett.
The Stutz Roadster, a two-door that seats four, introduced a new concept in motorcar luxury and quality. This fourth generation of Stutz has an all steel body hand built in Torino Italy. The Americans were the ones who produced the engine and automatic transmission.
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This nineteen foot five thousand pound car consists of a GM TH400 transmission. Also, the Stutz has a GM 455 cubic inch engine which is a V8. With a horsepower of 425, the Stutz accelerates to sixty miles per hour in eight point four seconds. The top speed of the Stutz is one hundred and thirty miles per hour.
The interior of the Stutz Blackhawk is very luxurious. The floor coverings are made of Australian lamb’s wool. Twenty four karat gold plates the bezels and moldings. Only the finest European leather covers the seats and is used on the dash. The dash also consists of beautiful English burl. The 1974 Stutz featured here, owned by the late Wilson Pickett also has its original eight-track tape deck. The Stutz goes through a six-week long process with twenty-two coats of individually hand rubbed lacquer paint.
Less than three-hundred Stutz were built and only eight were shipped to America in 1974. With the price anywhere from thirty thousand to one hundred thousand, only the wealthy could afford them at that time. A few celebrities who owned one are Elvis Presley, Wilson Pickett, and Evel Knievel. Today, each car includes a dash plaque naming its original owner.