Ricardo Mantalban's Stutz in Tacoma
We read today about the passing of Fantasy Island star, and spokesperson for “Corinthian Leather”, Ricardo Montalban.
Huh? What does this have to do with Tacoma?
Well, according to the USA of Yesterday website, the classic car showroom at 6th and St. Helens has the 1975 Stutz Black Hawk once owned by Mr. Montalban. 18k gold trim. Birdseye maple wood interior. Leather seats. Fur lined trunk. It could be yours for a mere $52,495.
Now, this ad has been on their site for years and may not be up-to-date. And we haven’t actually inquired into the details of the provenance. There is apparently a plaque with his name on it. Whatever the case, it’s still a pretty unique car with a unique story.
We’ll check on it the next time we’re in the neighborhood.
Link to USA of Yesterday
Filed under: General
4 comments
J Jesse January 15, 2009
I could be a pimp on Tacoma Ave with this ride.
T TheGulag January 15, 2009
That would be “Rich” Corinthian Leather.
KAHHNNNN!!!!!!
D Dave L. January 15, 2009
Being MoPar fan, I’d be O.K. with a well-optioned Imp or ‘doba with Corinthian leather, but I’m also an Exner fan and I did check out the Stutz earlier this year at Walt’s. I don’t believe it’s still there (but then again it might be) but it was a nice, period ride.
M Mofo from the Hood January 15, 2009
Corinthian’s, once prized for their supple hides, roamed freely throughout Greece until the late 1980’s. The Corinthian herds were calculated in the millions until illegal poaching devastated the breed. Animal rights groups based in Greece have blamed the Chrysler Corporation of America. During the 1980’s Chrysler promoted Corinthian leather as an exclusive feature in the Cordoba car. A Chrysler paid celebrity, Ricardo Montalban, enticed the public in television commercials to fall in love with Corinthian hides. It is widely know by the U.S. Department of Immigration that Montalban was a Mexican citizen. There is speculation by immigration authorities that Montalban was underpaid by Chrysler, but records for Montalban’s employment cannot be found. In recent decades a significant rise in Mexican immigrant worker’s have illegally crossed U.S. borders to seek employment by Chrysler Corporation. Mr. Montalban could not be reached for comment. However, earlier today Mr. Montalban’s Stutz car was found in Tacoma, Washington. An anonymous informer tipped U.S. Immigration officers and they arrived in Tacoma by late afternoon to inspect the scene. A thorough search of Mr. Montalban’s Stutz, which was parked across the street from a Love Tacoma event at Maxwell’s Restaurant, motivated Immigration officers to search for Montalban at the restaurant. It is unknown at this time what that search revealed.