The Stutz IV-Porte (also called Duplex and Victoria) were sedans produced by the Stutz Motor Car of America company in the 1970s and 1980s. The Stutz Diplomatica and later Royale were limousines produced by the Stutz Motor Car of America company in the 1970s and 1980s. All these cars shared characteristic design features, such as a spare tire protruding through the trunklid and freestanding headlamps as well as a very luxurious interior, with the Stutz Blackhawk coupe designed by Virgil Exner.
The Duplex was a sedan version of the Blackhawk coupe. A four-door prototype was built in 1970 by Carrozzeria Padane in Modena, Italy. [1] [2] The sedan was offered in 1972 by the name Limousine and in 1973 by the name Duplex for US$32,500 (adjusted for inflation appr. US$170,000 in 2010 dollars). The Duplex was discontinued in 1974. Only one or two were built.
The IV-Porte was produced from 1979 through 1981 on the GM B platform Pontiac Bonneville/Oldsmobile 88 Royale/Buick LeSabre platform. About 50 cars were built. The 1981 IV-Porte sedan was priced US$84,500 (adjusted for inflation appr. US$203,000 in 2010 dollars). Singer Kenny Rogers owned a white 1980 Stutz IV-Porte. [3] In the movie Night Shift Bill "Blaze" Blazejowski (played by Michael Keaton) appears to be driving a 1981 IV-Porte sedan. [4] Barry White owned a 1979 IV-Porte, the car was located by and restored for his widow on the History channel television show Counting Cars . [5]
In 1981 the IV-Porte was discontinued and replaced by the Victoria. This sedan was 10 inches (250 mm) longer, offering more legroom and folding tables in the back, and was positioned as a limousine, complete with Stutz-provided driver service. It kept design features as the protruding spare on the trunklid and the freestanding headlamps but lacked the sidepipes. About 20 cars were built.
Many of these Victorias, all of them white, were sold to the House of Saud, the royal family of Saudi Arabia. But within 2 to 3 years all of them were retired due to various malfunctions.
The 1985 Victoria was priced US$99,500 (adjusted for inflation appr. US$202,000 in 2010 dollars). A well maintained 1985 Stutz Victoria (black with red leather interior) was auctioned off at Fort Lauderdale, USA, on March 6, 2011, for US$39,050. [6]
The Diplomatica, introduced in 1981 and produced through 1985, was a standard-wheelbase limousine based on the Cadillac DeVille. It had many design-similarities with the larger Stutz Royale. Of the seven Diplomaticas produced, all but one were purchased for use in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [7] The 1981 armored version was priced US$225,000 (adjusted for inflation appr. US$540,000 in 2010 dollars).
Three extended-wheelbase limousines designed by Paolo Martin were also produced, the latter two using the Royale name in homage to the Bugatti Royale. The first two were purchased by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, while the third went to Omar Bongo, the President of Gabon.
These 25-foot (7.5 m) state limousines had a throne in the back that could be raised above a sliding roof and rotate 360 degrees. This allowed the occupant to be in full view during a ceremonial parade. The throne could be dropped instantly and the roof closed automatically.
The 1981 armored version of the Royale was in the Stutz pricelist for US$285,000 (adjusted for inflation appr. US$684,000 in 2010 dollars). Stutz used armor on their Chevrolet Suburban-based armored SUVs Defender/Gazelle/Bear.
Lincoln Motor Company, or simply Lincoln, is the luxury vehicle division of American automobile manufacturer Ford Motor Company. Marketed among the top luxury vehicle brands in the United States, Lincoln is positioned closely against its General Motors counterpart Cadillac. However, beginning with the 2021 model year, they only offer SUV and crossover vehicles.
The Lincoln Town Car is a model line of full-size luxury sedans that was marketed by the Lincoln division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. Deriving its name from a limousine body style, Lincoln marketed the Town Car from 1981 to 2011, with the nameplate previously serving as the flagship trim of the Lincoln Continental. Produced across three generations for thirty model years, the Town Car was marketed directly against luxury sedans from Cadillac and Chrysler.
The Lincoln Continental is a series of mid-sized and full-sized luxury cars produced between 1939 and 2020 by Lincoln, a division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. The model line was introduced following the construction of a personal vehicle for Edsel Ford, who commissioned a coachbuilt 1939 Lincoln-Zephyr convertible, developed as a vacation vehicle to attract potential Lincoln buyers. In what would give the model line its name, the exterior was given European "continental" styling elements, including a rear-mounted spare tire.
The Chrysler Fifth Avenue was a trim level/option package or model name used by Chrysler for its larger sedans from 1979 to 1993. The Fifth Avenue name was no longer used after 1993 when Chrysler introduced its new LH-platform New Yorker and similar LHS. The title "Fifth Avenue" references a street in New York City which contains many upscale shops and cultural attractions. The Chrysler Building is two blocks east of Fifth Avenue.
The Ford Panther platform was an automobile platform that was used by Ford Motor Company from the 1979 to 2012 model years. Following the downsizing of the General Motors B-bodies and C-bodies by two years, the Panther platform marked the end of production of sedans unencumbered by downsizing. Originally slated for discontinuation during the early 1980s, the Panther architecture was used for 33 model years, making it one of the longest-produced platforms in North American automotive history.
The Tata Indigo is a supermini produced by the Indian manufacturer Tata Motors produced from 2002 through 2016. It is the four-door saloon version of the Tata Indica, a supermini especially designed for developing countries.
The Chrysler Imperial, introduced in 1926, was Chrysler's top-of-the-line vehicle for much of its history. Models were produced with the Chrysler name until 1954, after which it became a standalone brand; and again from 1990 to 1993. The company positioned the cars as a prestige marque to rival Cadillac, Continental, Lincoln, Duesenberg, Pierce Arrow, Cord, and Packard. According to Antique Automobile, "The adjective 'imperial' according to Webster's Dictionary means sovereign, supreme, superior or of unusual size or excellence. The word imperial thus justly befits Chrysler's highest priced model."
The Stutz Bearcat was an American sports car of the pre– and post–World War I period.
The Cadillac DTS is a full-size car that was built by the American company Cadillac from 2005 until May 2011. It is a four-door sedan that comes in five- or six-seat variants. The DTS debuted at the 2005 Chicago Auto Show and was manufactured at GM's Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly factory. It uses GM's G-platform for front-engine, front-wheel-drive automobiles. The DTS was a very mildly revised iteration of the eighth-generation Deville, using the brand's new naming convention, set by the CTS and STS. Writing for the Los Angeles Times, noted reviewer Warren Brown called the DTS "a large, exceptionally comfortable front-wheel-drive luxury sedan." The nameplate DTS is an acronym for DeVille Touring Sedan.
The Chrysler Saratoga is an automobile built by Chrysler. The nameplate was used from 1939 to 1952 and from 1957 to 1960 in the U.S. market, in Canada through 1965, and in Europe from 1989 to 1995. In the beginning, it was introduced as a sport luxury model, using the Straight Eight engine from the Chrysler New Yorker which was more formal, and the Imperial which had graduated to special order limousine.
The Stutz Blackhawk is an American luxury car manufactured from 1971 through 1987. Other than the name, it bears no resemblance to the original Blackhawk (1929–1930). Prices ranged from US$22,500 to US$75,000. All early Blackhawks were coupes, but rare sedans were produced later. Convertible versions were called D'Italia and Bearcat. By 1976, Stutz had sold 205 Blackhawks, and about six a month were handbuilt in Italy and shipped to the U.S. By April 1980, 350 Blackhawks had been sold, and by the time production ended in 1987, approximately 500 to 600 cars had been manufactured.
The Stutz Motor Car Company was an American automobile manufacturer based in Indianapolis, Indiana that produced high-end sports and luxury cars. The company was founded in 1911 as the Ideal Motor Car Company before merging with the Stutz Auto Parts Company in 1913. Due to the pressures of the Great Depression, the Stutz company went defunct in 1938. The Stutz Motor Car Company produced roughly 39,000 automobiles in their Indianapolis factory during their existence.
The Cadillac Series 70 is a full-size V8-powered series of cars that were produced by Cadillac from the 1930s to the 1980s. It replaced the 1935 355E as the company's mainstream car just as the much less expensive Series 60 was introduced. The Series 72 and 67 were similar to the Series 75 but the 72 and 67 were produced on a slightly shorter and longer wheelbase respectively. The Series 72 was only produced in 1940 and the Series 67 was only produced in 1941 and 1942. For much of the postwar era, it was the top-of-the-line Cadillac, and was Cadillac's factory-built limousine offering.
The Hyundai Equus was manufactured and marketed by Hyundai Motor Company from 1999 to 2016 over two generations, as a full-size car, four-door, five passenger luxury sedan with a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. The nameplate derives from the Latin equus, meaning "horse."
The Continental Mark series is a series of personal luxury cars that was produced by Ford Motor Company. The nomenclature came into use with the Continental Mark II for 1956, which was a successor to the Lincoln Continental of 1939–1948. Following the discontinuation of the Mark II, Ford continued the use of the Mark series on Continental-branded vehicles from 1958 to 1960.
The Lincoln K series is a luxury vehicle that was produced by the Lincoln Motor Company between 1931 and 1940. The second motor line produced by the company, the Model K was developed from the Model L, including a modernized chassis on a longer wheelbase. In 1931, Lincoln also introduced a V-12, becoming a feature of the company for nearly 20 years.
Zimmer Motor Cars was a manufacturer of neo-classic automobiles. The company was originally incorporated in Ohio in July 1980 as the Zimmer Motor Cars Corporation. In August 1980, it was registered as a Foreign For Profit Corporation in the State of Florida under file number 846776. The company was a subsidiary of the Zimmer Corporation, then based in Pompano Beach, Florida.
The Packard Eight was a luxury automobile produced by Packard between 1924 and 1936, and was an all new platform that took the top market position from the earlier Packard Twin Six which was first introduced in 1916. When it was introduced, it was designated as the senior Packard. It remained so until the Super Eight and Custom Super Eight were introduced in the 1940s.
Aurus Motors is a Russian luxury car company founded in 2018, originally strictly as a Russian motorcade vehicle brand until 2021 when the company's first civilian model, the Aurus Senat, began production in May. The automaker claims to have sold 115 cars in 2023. Facelifts are planned for 2026 and 2030. President Putin had a facelifted Aurus in 2024.
Officine Padane was an Italian manufacturer of vehicle bodies in Modena.