If you’ve never heard of the Blackhawk don’t worry: it’s a rare bird. In fact, it’s the only Buick Blackhawk ever built. And it was the brainchild of Michael Doble, the Buick Special Vehicles Manager as the brand approached its centennial anniversary in 2003.
A coupe-convertible with a retractable top, the Blackhawk is a totally custom celebration of its history built with pieces of that legacy. It’s exactly the wild type of car that Buick could really use today.
At its core, the Blackhawk is actually a pretty uninspiring car, being based on a 1996 Buick Riviera. Thankfully, almost nothing from that front-wheel drive under-performing coupe remains. What now sits atop the original chassis is pretty incredible though.
Inspired by the 1940 Buick Y-Job, the Blackhawk uses a swath of parts from the long history of the brand. The grille is from a 1939 Buick. Sheet metal from both 1941 and 1948 Buick Roadmaster also finds its way into the car. Even the discreet headlights pay homage to the Y-Job.
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The Blackhawk swaps the front-wheel drive layout for a rear-wheel drive format. It also has a wheelbase of 129-inches which is more than 10 inches longer than the original Riviera donor car. Of course, great styling wouldn’t be much without a serious power plant. So under the hood you’ll find the same engine that Buick used for the 1970 455. In the Blackhawk, it’s fuel-injected and makes 463 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. That power makes its way to the rear wheels through a 4L80E automatic transmission.
The Blackhawk does borrow its independent suspension from the Corvette, so it’s not all Buick under the skin but we’ll give it a pass since it’s in the family.
Inside the car, it’s just as impressive; and again, very little from the original Riviera remains. Supple upholstery is heavily featured. The seats, the door skins, and the dash are all covered in light-colored leather, real wood accents are integrated into the steering wheel and simple, elegant metal door pulls are installed in each door card.
This isn’t some random custom home-built kit car, it’s a factory project with a factory finish. It’s so good that it was featured as Will Smith’s personal vehicle in Bad Boys II – and it’s now being auctioned by Mecum. It’s bold and it’s a bit brash, and that’s the spirit that Buick could use these days.
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