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Memphis, Tennessee 2) The King's chariots

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum

 

Elvis loved cars and mechanical toys of all types, including motorcycles and airplanes.  He had the money to indulge his passions, and you can see many of his favorites right across the street from Graceland.  The Elvis Presley Automobile Museum displays over 20 vehicles owned (or which were once owned) by Elvis.  You can also see two of Elvis' aircraft.

 

The collection  of classic cars includes Elvis' famous Pink Cadillac, several Rolls-Royces, two Stutz Blackhawks, a Mercedes limousine, a Ferrari, and some of Elvis’ smaller motorized toys (go-cart, dune buggy, and so on).  While some of the photos in this blog are my own, I lost an SD card containing many of my images from this museum.  Many of the photos in this post were taken by my brother (Ottoman); I'm grateful that he shared them with us.

 

Here are some of Elvis' cars from the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum:  

 

1) 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood, the pink Cadillac which Elvis bought for his mother, Gladys, and one of the only cars he never sold.

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. Pink 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood which he bought for his mother, Gladys. One of the few cars Elvis never sold

  

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. Pink 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood which he bought for his mother, Gladys. One of the few cars Elvis never sold

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. Pink 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood which he bought for his mother, Gladys. One of the few cars Elvis never sold

 

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. Pink 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood which he bought for his mother, Gladys. One of the few cars Elvis never sold

 

2) 1956 Cadillac ElDorado

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1956 Cadillac ElDorado

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1956 Cadillac ElDorado

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1956 Cadillac ElDorado

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1956 Cadillac ElDorado

 

3) 1960 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud (first Rolls Elvis owned)

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1960 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, the first Rolls Elvis' owned

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1960 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, the first Rolls Elvis' owned

  

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1960 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, the first Rolls Elvis' owned

 

4) 1962 Lincoln Continental

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1962 Lincoln Continental

  

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1962 Lincoln Continental

  

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1962 Lincoln Continental

 

5) 1966 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1966 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud. Blue seats, walnut panels.

  

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1966 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud. Blue seats, walnut panels.

 

6) 1969 Mercedes Benz 600 Limousine

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1969 Mercedes Benz 600 Limousine

 

7) 1970 Mercedes 280 SL Roadster (a gift from Elvis to Priscilla)

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1970 Mercedes 280 SL Roadster. A gift for his wife, Priscilla

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1970 Mercedes 280 SL Roadster. A gift for his wife, Priscilla

 

8)  1971 Stutz Blackhawk.  The first of Elvis' beloved Stutz cars.

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1971 Stutz Blackhawk.

  

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1971 Stutz Blackhawk.

  

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1971 Stutz Blackhawk.

 

9) 1973 Stutz Blackhawk (driven by Elvis the night he died....)

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1973 Stutz Blackhawk. Red leather, gold accents -- the last car Elvis is known to have driven

  

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1973 Stutz Blackhawk. Red leather, gold accents -- the last car Elvis is known to have driven

  

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1973 Stutz Blackhawk. Red leather, gold accents -- the last car Elvis is known to have driven

 

10) 1975 Ferrari Dino

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1975 Ferrari Dino

  

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1975 Ferrari Dino

  

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1975 Ferrari Dino

 

11) Assorted Mechanical Toys Elvis like to speed around on.  A number of them were customized to Elvis' specifications.

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. Pink Jeep

 

 

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. Pink Jeep

  

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. Harley Davidson

   

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. Assorted scooters and boy toys.

  

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. Assorted scooters and boy toys.

 

 Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. Assorted scooters and boy toys.

  

Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. More assorted scooters and boy toys

 

12) Elvis' Jets

 

Elvis Presley's jets

 

A separate exhibit (an additional admission fee), but conceptually the same.  In his early years Elvis drove tens of thousands of miles between performance engagements in cars and buses.  I doubt many of us have spent as much time sleeping in cars as Elvis did in the 1950s).  As air travel improved and he could afford it, it made sense that he would move toward personal jet travel.

 

There are two planes Elvis owned in Graceland's collection.  The prize of the collection is the "Lisa Marie" (named by Elvis in honor of his beloved daughter), a Convair 880 jet which he bought for just $250,000 in 1975.  Elvis then spent almost a million dollars upgrading it to his specifications (customized bed and seats, gold bathroom fixtures, great sound system).  It's interesting to tour this now ancient seeming plane, but which in its day represented the height of luxury. 

 

Elvis Presley's Lisa Marie jet

 

Elvis Presley's Lisa Marie jet

 

Elvis Presley's Lisa Marie (interior)

 

Elvis Presley's Lisa Marie (bed)

 

A second aircraft is on display, a small jet he bought before the Lisa Marie called "Hound Dog II".  It is a Lockheed Jet Star and was used in later years mostly by his manager and staff.  Compared to the Lisa Marie, it's a pretty basic aircraft.

 

You can enter both planes and look around.

 

Elvis Presley's Hound Dog II jet

 

Elvis Presley's Hound Dog II jet's tail logo

 

Attachments

Images (49)
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  1966 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud.  Blue seats, walnut panels.
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  1966 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud.  Blue seats, walnut panels.
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1960 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, the first Rolls Elvis' owned
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1960 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, the first Rolls Elvis' owned
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1960 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, the first Rolls Elvis' owned
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1969 Mercedes Benz 600 Limousine
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  1975 Ferrari Dino
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  1975 Ferrari Dino
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  1975 Ferrari Dino
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  1973 Stutz Blackhawk.  Red leather, gold accents -- the last car Elvis is known to have driven
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  1973 Stutz Blackhawk.  Red leather, gold accents -- the last car Elvis is known to have driven
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  1973 Stutz Blackhawk.  Red leather, gold accents -- the last car Elvis is known to have driven
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1971 Stutz Blackhawk.
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1971 Stutz Blackhawk.
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum. 1971 Stutz Blackhawk.
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.   1962 Lincoln Continental
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.   1962 Lincoln Continental
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.   1962 Lincoln Continental
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  Pink 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood which he bought for his mother, Gladys.  One of the few cars Elvis never sold
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  Pink 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood which he bought for his mother, Gladys.  One of the few cars Elvis never sold
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  Pink 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood which he bought for his mother, Gladys.  One of the few cars Elvis never sold
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  Pink 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood which he bought for his mother, Gladys.  One of the few cars Elvis never sold
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  Pink 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood which he bought for his mother, Gladys.  One of the few cars Elvis never sold
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  1956 Cadillac ElDorado
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  1956 Cadillac ElDorado
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  1956 Cadillac ElDorado
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  1956 Cadillac ElDorado
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  1956 Cadillac ElDorado
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  1970 Mercedes 280 SL Roadster.  A gift for his wife, Priscilla
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  1970 Mercedes 280 SL Roadster.  A gift for his wife, Priscilla
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  1970 Mercedes 280 SL Roadster.  A gift for his wife, Priscilla
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  Pink Jeep
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  Pink Jeep
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  Harley Davidson
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  Assorted scooters and boy toys.
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  Assorted scooters and boy toys.
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  Assorted scooters and boy toys.
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  Assorted scooters and boy toys.
  • Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.  More assorted scooters and boy toys
  • Elvis Presley's jets
  • Elvis Presley's Lisa Marie jet
  • Elvis Presley's Lisa Marie jet
  • Elvis Presley's Lisa Marie (interior)
  • Elvis Presley's Lisa Marie (bed)
  • Elvis Presley's Hound Dog II jet
  • Elvis Presley's Hound Dog II jet's tail logo

Twitter: @DrFumblefinger

"We do not take a trip, a trip takes us".  John Steinbeck, from Travels with Charlie

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Comments (9)

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Just a short post-pubication note.  Apparently the estate has the two airplanes for sale now.  Not sure how this will impact visitation, but the Lisa Marie is especially interesting because of the thought and design Elvis put into its renovation.

Twitter: @DrFumblefinger

"We do not take a trip, a trip takes us".  John Steinbeck, from Travels with Charlie

What a fantastic collection Karl, beautifully captured thru your lens. Could you sneak the Dino or 280SL or the Stutz out in your camera bag for me? ����

One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things."  Henry Miller

It's good to see the Elvis Legacy lives on.

Does the "King" still have a following in America with younger people ?

I'm amazed that younger visitors to Liverpool still want to see Beatles memorabilia.

German, French, Japanese, Spanish and Scandinavian tourists and most under 40.

Perhaps the fans of the 60s are too old to travel now !.

A very comprehensive study of Gracelands DrF.

Really enjoyed it !! Thank You.

Thanks, Garry.  Yes, there is definitely an interest in Elvis from the younger generation.  I'd say that today most of those visiting Graceland were not alive when Elvis died.  And what's most amazing to me is how they come from all over the planet.  Some of his greatest supporters, as you know, are from the UK (and also Japan for that matter).  Elvis always regretted not performing in England, but his manager (he of the 50% cut fame) was an illegal alien without a passport, so he only kept Elvis in the US.  If you want to see Elvis, you had to go to America.

Twitter: @DrFumblefinger

"We do not take a trip, a trip takes us".  John Steinbeck, from Travels with Charlie

Once again DrFumblefinger you have put together another amazing blog with wonderful pictures.  Thank you for this.  I hadn't heard anything about the family wanting to sell the two jets...that would be a pity, for their presence added a nice piece of history, demonstrating where and how Elvis spent much of his time traveling from city to city on his many tour dates throughout the seventies.  The news of Elvis's planes being sold makes me even more grateful that I had the opportunity to visit Graceland when I did.

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