Exner's design included a spare tire that protruded through the decklid, a faux radiator shell-type chrome grille and freestanding headlamps.

To offer exclusivity and still permit easy servicing in the U.S. a General Motors platform and engine served as the base for the custom built Italian body.

For 1978 Pontiac chose to downsize the Grand Prix, but Stutz did not want to follow the same route and did not have a new design at the ready.

Instead, they stocked up on a large number of 1977 Grand Prix and kept building the car for an additional two years.

The basic design was reworked to suit the Pontiac Bonneville chassis (later on the Parisienne), which had a near-identical wheelbase to that of the earlier Grand Prix.

In 1985, Stutz changed to using the Oldsmobile Delta 88/Buick LeSabre chassis - versions of the same General Motors B platform which had been used earlier, but no longer offered by Pontiac.

With an extra heavy gauge steel body, the Blackhawk measures greater than 19 feet (5.8 meters) long.

Exner's design included a spare tire that protruded through the trunk lid and freestanding headlamps.

[3] The interior includes 24-carat gold plated trim and bird's eye maple or burled walnut and redwood, Connolly leather seats and dash, instrument markings in both English and Italian, fine wool or mink carpeting and headlining, a cigar lighter, and a liquor cabinet in the back.

[4] Other special features include automatic headlamp controls with twilight sensor, cornering lamps, bilevel automatic air conditioning, Superlift air adjustable shock absorbers, Safe-T-Track limited slip differential, an electric sunroof, cruise control, central locking, a burglar alarm, non-functional exhaust side pipes, and a high-end Lear Jet AM/FM eight-track quadraphonic sound system.

[e] The Stutz d’Italia was advertised as "the most expensive car sold today" at $129,500 at the same time as the Bearcat VI was offered for under half this at "only $64,165".

[10][11] Other famous owners included Dick Martin (1971), Lucille Ball (who got her 1971 Blackhawk as a gift from her husband Gary Morton with a dash plaque saying I Love Lucy - Gary), Sammy Davis Jr. (who owned two 1972, one for himself and one for his wife), Dean Martin (who owned three and crashed his 1972 Blackhawk with vanity plate DRUNKY), Robert Goulet (1972), Evel Knievel (1974), Wilson Pickett (1974), Luigi Colani (1974), Lou Brock (1974), Johnnie Taylor (1975), Johnny Cash (1975), Curd Jürgens (1977), Erik Estrada (1978), Larry Holmes (1982), as well as Jerry Lewis, Charley Pride, Liberace, Willie Nelson, Isaac Hayes, Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Tom Jones, Billy Joel, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Al Pacino, Wayne Newton, Barry White, and H.B.