“"When I was a child, ladies and gentleman, I was a dreamer. I read comic books, and I was the hero in the movie. So every dream I ever dreamed has come true a hundred times...I learned very early in life that: "Without a song, the day would never end; without a song, a man ain't got a friend; without a song, the road would never bed -- without a song." So I keep singing my song."”
This text was written by Joe Esposito, a member of the inner-circle of Elvis Presley. It was written as an answer to a question on the Collecting online homepage, the web part of the Collecting magazine.
Interesting stuff !
As everyone knows, Elvis loved cars. But when it came to the merchandising of souvenirs, he showed little or no interest and really wasn't involved. Elvis had a lot of cars. The first thing that attracted him was the looks of the car. He didn't care if it was a $5,000 car or a $50,000 car or what brand it was, although he was very partial to American-made cars. He really liked Cadillacs and Lincolns, also some Chryslers. We bought a few foreign cars like the Rolls Royce because it was very prestigious and looked great, a Mercedes limousine and a Ferrari, but mostly his cars were American-made. He was very patriotic when it came to that.
Elvis' purchased this 1971 yellow De Tomaso Pantera sports car in 1974 for $2,400 as a gift to then girlfriend Linda Thompson. This is the car Elvis shot - on more than one occasion! George Klein, Myrna Smith and Sheila Ryan all tell rather amazing stories about Elvis and this De Tomaso Pantera sports car.
George Klein was at Graceland one afternoon and commented on the Pantera sitting around in the back driveway. He asked Elvis about it and Elvis was apparently annoyed at the car at the time. It had quit on him driving in Memphis [It had a Ford engine!] and he had someone pick him up and drive him back to Graceland, and left the car on the side of the road. Even after it was returned to Graceland, they were unable to get it started again ... Now ... as Elvis is standing there relating this story to George he pulls out a handgun and shoots the car ... and it starts up and runs. (Thanks to George Klein for help with this story.)
Myrna Smith: 'I will never forget a hair-raising spin around Memphis in his little yellow Pantera. He was a great driver but I knew he was trying to scare me. He thought it was funny'. When they finally schreeched to a stop in Graceland's driveway, Elvis completed the 'shock treatment' by pulling out a gun and shooting the dashboard as he castigated the car for not running right.
Elvis' 1971 yellow De Tomaso Pantera - With bullet hole in steering wheel
Sheila Ryan: One time we were gonna go for a ride in the yellow Pantera and I was petrified. I was worried because he didn't drive that often. We were always in a limousine.
It was late and dark and we were on the Mississippi interstate. Elvis was driving. It's just the two of us. And we were going seventy-five and I'm thinking, okay, I can deal with seventy-five. And then eighty-five and ninety-five and a hundred and thirty. We were going a hundred and thirty. Then Elvis says, 'Here, you take the wheel'. And takes his hands off and I was like, 'Please, that's not funny. Please'. And I was like begging him. I was really scared. It was a side of him that I didn't see often. Carefree. He wasn't on the job. He wasn't working. He wasn't in Vegas. He wasn't doing shows. He was just having a good time. When I saw those gates with the musical notes on them, I was really happy to be back.
About the De Tomaso Pantera
The Pantera was a sports car produced by the de Tomaso company of Italy from 1971 through 1996. The word 'Pantera' is Italian for 'Panther'. The car was designed by Tom Tjaarda and replaced the de Tomaso Mangusta. Unlike the Mangusta, which employed a steel backbone chassis, the Pantera was a steel monocoque design, the first instance of de Tomaso using this construction technique.
The first 1971 Panteras were powered by 351 in³ (5.8 L) Ford Cleveland V8 which produced 330 hp (246 kW). The 1971 Pantera could accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.5 seconds. Late in 1971, Ford began importing Panteras for the American market to be sold through its Lincoln Mercury dealers. The first 75 cars were simply European imports and are known for their 'push-button' door handles and hand-built Carrozzeria Vignale bodies. A total of 1,007 Panteras reached the United States that first year. Unfortunately, these cars were poorly built, and several Panteras broke down during testing on Ford's own test track. Rust-proofing was non-existent in the early 1970s (not only on the Pantera) and the quality of fit and finish was poor, with large amounts of bondo being used to cover body panel flaws.
This 1977 Cadillac Seville, two-tone burgundy and silver with white leather interior was the last Cadillac that Elvis owned, and the registration to Elvis' 1977 Cadillac
If Elvis saw a car he liked in the window, he'd stop and buy it. That was basically it. If the dealership was closed and we knew the owner, we'd call and wake him up. We'd say, "Listen, Elvis wants to buy this car." Naturally the guy would meet us there, because if he didn't, Elvis would say, "Well, we'll find someplace else."
Elvis' famous Pink Cadillac 1955
2/12/2010 19:23:21
Elvis Presley’s Mercedes up at auction this week:
The King of Rock and Roll’s personal Mercedes-Benz 600 is up for grabs at an auction run by Bonhams at Brooklands, Surrey. It is one of a handful of cars owned by Presley and registered in his name and has been lovingly restored. The five-door powder blue saloon has attracted a pre-sale estimate of up to £200,000. It is being sold at the Important Motor Cars and Fine Automobilia auction at Mercedes-Benz World in Brooklands, Surrey, on December 6. Elvis purchased the car, which was one of two Mercedes 600 he owned, in 1970 and kept it for two years before giving it to a friend, James Leroy Robertson. It was purchased by the vendor in 2005 from Robertson Motors Memphis, and exported to the UK.
Did Elvis bring bags of money? Absolutely not. Elvis never carried cash. Either I would write a check or, if I wasn't there, somebody else would write the check and Elvis would sign it. If we were in Memphis the dealerships would just send the bill to the house at Graceland.
Regarding the dealers throwing themselves at him, Elvis was famous for buying cars, not just one, and the minute they knew he was coming into the dealership they'd swarm around like mad. Elvis never asked for a discount, never even asked the price. He just said, "OK, I'll take that car." And then one of us would negotiate the price and take it from there.
Elvis Presley's 1964 Cadillac Fleetwood Model 75 Limousine
When Elvis came to buy cars he bought one for himself and then he'd say, "Hey, I think I should buy some for my friends." And that's how he was. He let them share in his enthusiasm for cars. A lot of times he would turn around and give his away. But the people he bought cars for had them registered and licensed in their names, not his.
1960 Lincoln Continental Mark 5
He gave me a lot of new cars, including a brand new Seville and a gorgeous Eldorado convertible. One time he offered me a brand new Rolls Royce, but I turned it down because I didn't want to cause problems in the group. When I sold those cars, I didn't sell them as Elvis collectibles. But I'm sure the Eldorado convertible is out there someplace and I know it's worth a lot of money. But at the time I didn't think of it as a collectible.
Picture of Elvis' 76 Cadillac Eldorado, auctioned in Nashville,TEN 12/12 1998
Elvis' 1971 Stutz Blackhawk prototype # 276579 P 330858
Jules Meyers and Elvis' Stutz at the Airport.
He had ordered aDuesenbeg , but the production never had started, so he bought the Stutz Blackhawk. The very first one!
I heard, that Elvis and Frank Sinatra were guests in a TV-show, where the Stutz was presented. Both wanted to buy that car, so the decision was made, that the first, who can pay cash will get the car. Elvis won, and Frank Sinatra never bought a Stutz, seems that he was not used to loose...In August 2003, I had the chance to talk to Sonny West, he was Elvis bodyguard, he told me a completely different story: Jules Meyers, the first Stutz-dealer showed up at Elvis' home at Hillcrest with the Blackhawk. Elvis was interested, and Mr. Meyers told him that he can sign a contract, and that the Stutz-Company will build him his Blackhawk during the following months. Presley wasn't interested in signing a contract, he was interested in buying the car, the car standing next to him. Jules Meyers tried to explain that this car was the very first Stutz, that he need the car to show to potential buyers, to drive around, showing the beauty of the car. Elvis answered with a question: "How do you think you will sell more cars, when you drive it, or when the people see ME driving it around???" Well, Jules saw the point... All what he was able to do was to ask for a ride home...
The TV-Show-story was good, but this story is better, and it sounds more like Elvis handled these things.
Thanks to Sonny West for sharing this story with me and the Stutz-fans!
In March 2004, I had another chance to hear more about the true story, how Elvis got his first Stutz, I talked to Jules Meyers, the seller. He told me that Elvis wanted to see the car, so they made an appointment. When Jules Meyers came to Elvis' home, Presley wanted to have the car, so Meyers told Elvis that there will happen a car show, in a couple of days, and that he will need the car to show it. It was O.K. with Elvis, so the car was sold, and Meyers was able to show the car at the local car show. Elvis agreed also to take some press-pictures with him and the car, good for publicity. Jules Meyers told me that it is true that Sinatra was also interested in the car, but Sinatra also said that if he will get the car nobody will be able to show the car at any car-show anymore, and taking pictures of the Stutz with him is not going to happen. So it was obviously the better decision to sell the car to Elvis Presley.
13/11/2011 18:08:09
Elvis's 1955 Cadillac sold
The 1955 Cadillac Series 75 Fleetwood limousine that Elvis Presley used to transport his band to shows all over the Southern United States went up for auction at Bonham's Classic California sale yesterday. The new owner paid 172,000 $US for the car, including the Buyer's Premium. Pre sale estimates had the Fleetwood selling somewhere between $100,000 and $150,000. From the catalogue: This well documented car was purchased by the King in January of 1956 and immediately repainted Black. He may have died a very rich man, but in '56 Elvis still needed his father to co-sign on the car.
Unlike many older Cadillacs that head to auction with questionable Elvis ties, this Limo is a well documented car with clear proof it was owned by Presley.
Elvis Presley's 'Long Black Limousine' to Rock Barrett-Jackson Auction
BUSINESS WIRE-- December 28, 2005
The Barrett-Jackson Auction Co. will auction, at no reserve, the personal 1960 Lincoln Mark V limousine owned by Elvis Presley during the 35th Anniversary Barrett-Jackson "World's Greatest Collector Car Event" at WestWorld in Scottsdale, January 14 - 22, 2006.
"This is the first time the car has ever been advertised for sale, having changed hands privately prior to this opportunity," exclaimed Craig Jackson, president and CEO of the Barrett-Jackson Auction Co. "The history that took place in and around this Lincoln alone makes it worth the trip to our event. This is the Elvis Presley car -- one of the most historically significant vehicles we have ever offered. With Elvis' birthday approaching on Jan. 8, it's the perfect time to bring his limousine back out into the public view. There'll even be a ticket waiting for him at our 'will call' desk if he wants to see his car sell."
With only 33,000 actual miles and every option available, including rear power privacy glass, and front and rear air conditioning, the Mark V, serial number 32, is a fantastic example of this already special vehicle. A copy of the bill of sale and power of attorney signed by the King himself which authorized the purchase of the car will also be included with the car as well as others, creating an amazing paper trail which tracks the Lincoln's build to its ultimate delivery to Elvis.
"The story of this car is legendary," noted Barrett-Jackson Executive Vice President Steve Davis. "Elvis used this car regularly throughout his movie and music stints. Many stories have been told of the King tooling around Tennessee in the Lincoln, which was considered by many of his closest friends to be his favorite car."
About The Barrett-Jackson Auction Co. Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Barrett-Jackson specializes in providing products and services to classic car owners, collectors, and enthusiasts around the world. The company produces the "World's Greatest Classic Car Event" in Scottsdale, Arizona, and has expanded to other venues, including Palm Beach, Florida. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com or call 480-421-6694.
He was killed along with his wife before they ever used the bus. The bus was later resold in 1970 by Crowell Designs to be used as business travel. It was again purchased by Angola Coach Co., in 1971 and used it as a model display coach. On August 12, 1977 4 days before Elvis passed away the bus was sold to Jim Sturm of Sturm & Associates and Mr. Sturm entered into an agreement with Graceland, who was having a cash flow problem to put the bus, as well as numerous other vehicles owned by Elvis, on a tour naming the tour "Elvis on Wheels." This is the only coach Elvis ever personally owned for his own private use. Later during one of the exhibitions of the coach in Shreveport, LA Mr. Sturm entered into an agreement with Jimmie DeRamus for the sale of the coach. When Graceland was notified of the appointed time the coach was to be picked up they immediately blocked the sale and entered into an agreement with Mr. Sturm to exhibit the coach along with Elvis' two private airplanes at Graceland, basing their total objection to the sale on some notes previously made on a napkin. These pictures were given to me by Mr. Sturm in order that I would be able to begin preparations on a promotional package for a tour of the bus, which bookings were already in the works.
