The Cars of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley at the wheel of his 1958 Lincoln Continental Mark III
Elvis fans will be familiar with his love of cars, particularly Cadillacs, of which he owned many. Presley was known to pull over outside a showroom displaying a new car he liked, and buy it on the spot. He bought countless cars for friends and family, and gave away his own cars including a rare Stutz Blackhawk he presented to his Las Vegas doctor. Most famously, he presented his mother Gladys with a ‘55 Cadillac he had painted pink just for her.
Elvis loved homegrown cars best of all – especially top of the range luxury cars, though he was partial to an occasional European exotic too.
Elvis poses with three of his Cadillacs, circa 1956.
The King reputedly owned well over a hundred cars in his lifetime, though the exact number will probably never be known. Many of his cars survive today and can be seen at the Elvis Presley Car Museum at Graceland in Memphis, TN.
There’s been a surge of interest in all things Elvis since the 2022 release of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic. Actor Austin Butler won the Golden Globe for best actor in a motion picture for his portrayal of Elvis. Only days after Butler won the award, Elvis Presley’s only child Lisa Marie passed away at the age of 54.
Lisa Marie, Elvis and Priscilla Presley in happier times…
Tunnel Ram has put together a list of cars owned by Presley over the course of his life. Looking back at the cars Elvis owned provides a glimpse into the man’s private life, and his passion for automobiles. It also reveals a fast changing world - evidenced by the drastic change in auto-styling from the 1950s to the 1970s.
In the instances where no quality photos exist of a particular car, we’ve added images of the exact model from our extensive archive of factory promotional and print advertising artwork and photographs.
"While I was driving a truck, every time a big shiny car drove by it started me sort of daydreaming. I always felt that someday, somehow, something would happen to change everything for me. I would daydream about how it would be." Elvis Presley
1942 Lincoln Zephyr V12 Club Coupe
Print advertisement for the 1942 Lincoln Zephyr Club Coupe - ‘The Finest Lincolns Ever Built’
For Elvis’ 18th birthday in January of 1953, father Vernon Presley bought a 1942 Lincoln Zephyr as a gift for his son. Vernon paid $50 for the old Zeph, which reputedly wasn’t the most reliable. Powered by Ford’s 292 cubic inch flat-head V12, the Zephyr engine suffered similar woes as Ford’s venerable flat-had V8 - prone to hot spots and poor oil pressure.
Despite mechanical woes, the old Lincoln allowed Elvis to take girls out on dates. The future King of Rock’n’Roll was mobile.
Eighteen year old Elvis poses with the ‘42 Lincoln outside 462 Alabama Ave where the Presleys rented an apartment
1954 Cadillac Series 60 Special
On the cusp of fame and earning money as a performer, in early 1955 Elvis bought a used 1954 Cadillac. In two-tone pink and white, Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys used the car to get to and from gigs until, tragically, while driving along an Arkansas freeway on a hot summer day, a brake lining caught fire. Elvis had to pull over and watch his beloved Cadillac go up on flames only months after he’d purchased it.
“The first car I bought was the most beautiful car I've ever seen. It was second hand but I parked it outside my hotel the day I got it and stayed up all night just looking at it. It caught fire and burned up on the road.” Elvis Presley
1955 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 60
Possibly the most famous of all Elvis cars - the ‘55 Cadillac Fleetwood he had repainted in pink and gave to his mother.
Undeterred, a month or so after losing his ‘54 Caddy in a fire, Elvis bought another Cadillac. Purchased brand new in blue with a black roof, Elvis had the car repainted in pink. Elvis gave it to his mother Gladys as a gift, but he continued to drive it as his mother had no license and never drove. Elvis held onto it until he passed away, the car now resides in the Elvis Presley Automotive Museum.
Elvis proudly polishing the ‘55 Cadillac
1956 Ford Thunderbird
Evlis poses in his new 1956 T-bird. Note he has the removable hardtop attached.
Who could blame Elvis for spending his hard earned on a new 1956 T-bird, Ford’s smash hit two-seater sporty car released in 1955. Nothing much is known of Elvis’ Thunderbird or how long he owned it, but there are a few surviving photos of him with the car.
One of the all time classic American cars, the first generation T-bird looks as good almost 70 years on as it did when released in 1955.
1954 Cadillac Series 75 Fleetwood Limousine
Print advertisement for the long wheelbase 1954 Cadillac Fleetwood limo
Elvis bought the 1954 Fleetwood Limousine in the spring of 1956. Originally blue, Elvis had the car repainted in yellow. Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys used the car to ferry their musical equipment from gig to gig, then when Elvis moved to Graceland he used the limo to ferry livestock to his new home. Reportedly the car smelled so bad afterwards even fumigating it didn’t get rid of the smell, so Elvis got rid of the car instead.
On tour in Jacksonville, Florida, summer 1956: The Blue Moon Boys Scotty Moore, Gordon Stoker, and Hugh Jarrett load up the ’54 Fleetwood.
Click here to read our article on the classic Cadillacs
1956 Messerschmitt KR200
The Messerschmitt KR200 was a German three-wheeled microcar that was cheap to make and cheap to run. Metal was expensive and hard to obtain in post-war Germany, as was fuel, so the KR200 was a cheap way to get mobile. In the US, it was a novelty car in an era when novelty was in demand.
No-one seems to know how Elvis acquired the KR200, but in August 1957 he traded the car for a shopping spree at Lansky Brothers' clothing store on Beale Street in Memphis. Elvis’ early stage apparel was purchased at Lansky’s and he continued to shop there throughout his life. The Lansky family still own the KR200 which would surely be the most valuable three-wheeler in the world.
Original print ad for the KR200 - so light it could go where normal (read practical) cars couldn’t!
1956 Cadillac Eldorado
Elvis with parents Vernon and Gladys Presley pose with the Eldorado convertible (colorised black and white photo)
Elvis flew to Houston to purchase this car on June 12, 1956 at a cost of $10,000. Originally white with a black interior, the story goes that Elvis squashed a handful of grapes on the fender and told customizer Jimmy Sanders, that was the colour he wanted. The upholstery was changed to white tuck and roll leather while the floor was covered in purple fur. Elvis traded in the now purple Eldorado in December 1957.
The ‘56 Eldorado after it was customized to Elvis’ taste by Jimmy Sanders
1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II
Elvis’ 1956 Continental MkII on display at the Presley Motors Museum
The story of how Elvis came to own the exclusive, limited production ‘56 Continental is one that can only happen to a major star, which Elvis was by the mid nineteen-fifties. While on tour in Miami, Elvis parked his ‘56 Lincoln Premiere outside the venue to discover after the show that it had been covered in lipstick and notes left by adoring fans.
A youthful Elvis poses with the exclusive ‘56 Continental
Rather than pay to have the car washed, Elvis drove to a nearby Lincoln-Mercury dealer and traded it in for $7,000 toward the purchase of a white Continental Mark II with a list price of $10,688. At the time, that was enough money to buy a luxury home.
Elvis drove the Continental to gigs for the remainder of the tour before driving it back to Memphis. He kept it in his collection until it was sold sometime in the early 1960s. The car eventually ended up in Australia but was recently purchased by the Presley Motors Museum at Graceland where it now resides.
The mauve ‘56 Lincoln Premiere Elvis traded for the more upmarket Lincoln Continental Mk II.
1958 Lincoln Continental MkIII convertible
Elvis in uniform outside Graceland, with the ‘58 Lincoln in the background
Elvis just couldn’t get enough of the latest luxury cars coming out of Detroit in the 1950s. Lincolns were in direct competition with Cadillac in the high priced field, and a top of the range Continental Mark III was about as pricey as cars came in 1958. The ‘58 Lincolns were longer and heavier than Cadillacs, and had an even bigger V8 at a monster 430 cubic inches (7ltr). Elvis just had to add one to his collection.
At over nineteen feet long (5.8 meters) and weighing in at 5,000 pounds (2,230kg) - the Mk III convertible remains one of the longest and heaviest cars ever built.
Print ad for the ‘58 Continental MkIII convertible - the ultimate in ostentatious luxury, just the thing for a young Elvis Presley.
BMW 507
Elvis photographed with his white BMW 507 in front Goethestraße 14, in Bad Nauheim - June 1959.
While stationed in Germany during his time in the armed forces, In December 1958 Elvis leased a used BMW 507 from BMW Glöckler. Th car’s original owner was race-car driver Hans Stuck. At around half the price of a brand new 507, Elvis was happy with the deal until he later learned that he had only leased the BMW. Not understanding German, Elvis thought he was signing a contract to own the car. In August 1959 Elvis swapped the white 507 for a red one which he drove for a few months before handing it back when he returned to the USA.
Original print advertisement for the glamorous BMW 507
Intended to compete with the higher end British sports cars in the US market, the V8-powered 507 was too complex to produce in large numbers, and too expensive for most prospective buyers. Even at US $10,500 (over $100k in today’s money) BMW made a loss on every 507 sold. Today, they are a recognized classic with restored examples selling for an average price of $2 million US.
Elvis behind the wheel of the red BMW 507 he leased while in the US armed forces in Germany
1960 Lincoln Continental Mark V
The 1960 Lincoln Continental Mark V was ordered by Elvis in 1959 while he was serving in the armed forces in Germany. Lincoln, a division of the Ford Motor Company, sent the 1960 Mark V to to be customized as requested by Elvis. Hess and Eisenhardt also built the Lincoln X-100 convertible limousine in which President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
Visit our Lincoln gallery
1960 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud
Elvis poses with his new Rolls outside Graceland in 1961
In January 1961, Elvis signed a five year movie contract with famous producer Hal Wallis. To celebrate, Elvis bought a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud from a Beverly Hills dealer. Apparently once back at Graceland, chickens pecked at their reflections in the gleaming duco of the Rolls. Rather than getting rid of the chickens, Elvis had the car repainted. It is now part of the car collection at the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum at Graceland.
Elvis sits in the rear of the Silver Cloud, but he usually preferred to drive his own cars.
1960 Cadillac Series 75 Fleetwood Limousine
Elvis was reputed to have spent $100,000 on his heavily customized 1960 Fleetwood limo. Customized by the famous George Barris of Batmobile fame, with a gold plated phone, shoe buffer, refrigerator, entertainment console with RCA record player, tape deck and swivel television set. Forty coats of exterior paint made with pearl, diamond dust and oriental fish scales were used on the outside. Hubcaps, wheel covers, headlight rims and grille were plated in 24 karat gold.
Legendary west coast car customizer George Barris was hired by Presley to modify the Cadillac Fleetwood limo - note the tiny rear window and side port-holes.
1962 Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster
Elvis and childhood friend Ernie Barrasso with the glamorous ‘62 Tbird sports roadster.
A childhood friend of Elvis, Ernie Barrasso was working at a Memphis Ford dealership in the early ‘60s when a new, limited edition Thunderbird was delivered. The car came with chrome wire wheels and a fiberglass tonneau cover with integral headrests that hid the rear seats so that it resembled a two-seater. With power steering and brakes, automatic trans and a 390 cubic inch V8, the Tbird was too big and heavy for a sports car, but it was about the most glamorous set of wheels made in America circa 1962.
Barrasso called into Graceland to tell Elvis about the amazing car. 'One Sunday, I left a brochure, and the next day he drove down in his Cadillac and asked to see the car, which was on the showroom floor. The wire wheels caught his eye immediately. As I was showing him the breakaway steering wheel, he asked how much?
'Sixty-one hundred', I said.
'I'll take it', Elvis replied, and drove the Tbird home right then and there, sending someone later to collect his Cadillac.
'Selling that car was the thrill of my life’ says Barrasso ‘but it turned out to be an unhappy experience for Elvis'.
Print advertisements for the Thunderbird Sports Roadster as purchased by Elvis in 1962.
Shortly after purchasing the Tbird Elvis had employees drive the car to LA where he was making a movie. While driving they heard a knocking noise and noticed the chrome spokes on custom wheels had come loose. When they tried to get replacements from Ford, they discovered the wheels were no longer offered due to faulty construction, so had to replace them with standard steel wheels.
Elvis allegedly called Ford head office in Dearborn to complain, and was offered his money back if he returned the car to a dealership. He declined the offer, though it’s not known what became of the ill-fated Thunderbird.
1963 Buick Riviera
Elvis had a real eye for classics and the 1963 Buick Riviera was no exception. It’s not known how long Elvis owned the Riviera, or where he bought it, but it’s believed to be the only Buick he ever owned. The Riviera was Buick’s competitor to Ford’s Thunderbird in the lucrative personal luxury car market. Big, high powered, stylish and luxurious - just like the Tbird (which Elvis already owned) the Riviera was an instant hit for Buick.
Read our article on the classic American personal luxury cars
The beautiful Riviera was the brainchild of General Motors Director of Styling Bill Mitchell, who instructed his design team to give him a cross between a Bentley and a Ferrari. The result was the beautiful 1963-65 Riviera, considered one of the great designs of the 1960s and still highly prized today.
1967 Lincoln Continental Lehmann-Peterson Executive Limousine
Covered in a thick coat of authentic barn dust, the long wheelbase Lincoln limousine given to Presley by Colonal Parker recently went up for sale.
The custom Lincoln limousine was a wedding present for newlyweds Elvis and Priscilla Presley in May 1967. Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker gifted it to the couple who used it as Presley family transport for several years.
Unlike other long wheelbase limousines of the era, the middle seats in the Lincoln were rear-facing, allowing four people to converse and make eye contact.
With a 462 cubic inch (7.5ltr) V8 the big limo had plenty of power, and was loaded with accessories such as a full stereo system operated from the rear seats. An earlier, convertible version of the stretched Lincoln Continental was the car President John F Kennedy was riding in when assassinated in Dallas in December 1963.
After seemingly being lost for decades, the Presley Lincoln turned up for auction at Monterey in 2019, selling in unrestored condition for $165,000.
Elvis poses beside the big Lincoln circa 1967.
1968 Cadillac Eldorado
The ‘68 Eldorado owned by Elvis - note the bullet hole in front fender
In late December ‘67 Elvis spotted a new Eldorado parked outside a Memphis Cadillac dealership, and had to have it. Painted in Topaz Gold Firemist with a black vinyl top - the Eldorado became his daily transportation until he had trouble starting the car some months later. Elvis pulled out a handgun and put a slug through the right front fender.
Released in 1967, the sensational Eldorado was Cadillac’s entry into the burgeoning personal luxury car field, and was the most expensive car in that market segment. With revolutionary front-wheel drive, the Eldorado offered Cadillac’s 429 cubic inch (7.0ltr) V8 with automatic transmission and many new safety features.
Priscilla Presley often drove the car, until Elvis presented it to her stepfather who used it sparingly. The car was eventually purchased by an Australian businessman who used it for promotional purposes. The car remains in Queensland, Australia to this day - with bullet hole still evident in the front fender.
Original promotional image for the beautiful, exclusive Cadilac Eldorado
Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman 6-Door Limousine
Elvis purchased a 1969 six-door Mercedes-Benz 600 in the spring of 1970. Mercedes-Benz first offered the ultra-luxury 600 limousine in 1964, with production finally ending in 1981. Over 2,600 were produced in that time, but only 126 were the six-door ultra long-wheelbase model that Elvis purchased. The 600 was so heavy that Mercedes had to design a new, more powerful engine for it - an overhead-cam, fuel injected 6.3ltr V8. The powerful new engine not only had to haul all that weight, and passengers, it needed to provide hydraulic power assistance for door locks, windows, steering, brakes and even the boot.
Elvis waving to photographers from the sunroof of the Mercedes 600 in LA - early 1970s
Elvis liked the Mercedes 600 so much he actually owned two - the other was a short wheelbase 600 in silver with black leather interior. The smaller 600 was kept at Graceland, where Elvis had “TCB” and a lightning bolt logo painted on each front door. The TCB stood for Elvis’ motto ‘Taking Care of Business’
Elvis’ other Mercedes 600 - a short wheelbase four-door. Note the ‘TCB’ logo and lightning bolt on the front door.
Stutz Blackhawks
Elvis loved Stutz Blackhawks so much he owned three, including the original prototype, which Stutz company President Jules Meyers decided to sell to Elvis rather than another impatient customer - Frank Sinatra. Built on a Pontiac Grand Prix platform with the same 116 inch wheelbase, the Blackhawk used Pontiac’s 455 cubic inch (7.4ltr) V8, gearbox and suspension. Hand built bodywork was supplied by Carrozzeria Padana of Modena, Italy. Prices, depending on models, ranged from $22,500 up to $75,000 depending on options. The Blackhawk was about one of the most exclusive, and expensive, automobiles available. Both Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jnr owned a Stutz, as did, eventually, ol’ blue eyes himself - Frank Sinatra.
Rear styling of the 1971 Stutz Blackhawk owned by Elvis
Designed by Virgil Exner, the man who gave Chrysler the 1957 Forward Look, the Blackhawk featured simulated side exhausts, fake running boards, protruding chrome grille, free-standing headlights and embossed trunk lid à la Exner’s 1961-63 Chrysler Imperials. As flamboyant on the inside as out, Blackhawk interiors featured 24-karat gold fittings, fur-lined floors, Italian leather seats and English walnut veneer.
Jules Meyers presents Elvis with a white Stutz Blackhawk. The one in the background is Presley’s second Stutz, the first one was crashed and put in storage.
In the summer of 1971 Elvis’ original Blackhawk was badly damaged. Elvis’ L.A. chauffeur crashed the car on the way to the car-wash. Not to worry - Elvis ordered another black Stutz, and later - a white one to go with it. Repairs were finally completed to the original Blackhawk in the early 1980s.
Visit the Stutz Blackhawk gallery
De Tomaso Pantera
In 1974 Elvis bought a yellow ’71 De Tomaso Pantera for girlfriend Linda Thompson. Though built in Italy, the Pantera was powered by an American Ford 351 (5.8ltr) Cleveland V8, and was sold through Lincoln-Mercury dealers in the US. Ford wanted an image car to compete with Chevrolet’s Corvette, and despite blistering performance, the Pantera was hand-built and finicky to drive so did not sell in great numbers.
Elvis famously shot the Pantera after it broke down and left him stranded in Memphis. On another occasion, with a lady friend present, he terrified her by shooting the steering wheel because the car was running rough. When it did run right, Elvis scared another female passenger when he took the car up to 135mph on a Tennessee freeway.
Visit the De Tomaso gallery
Ferrari 308 GT4
In 1976 Elvis purchased a black 1975 Ferrari 308 GT4. Ferrari’s first mid-engine V8, the GT4 was a four-seater though the rear seats were only for children. With a small 3.0ltr V8 and no turbo, the GT4 wasn’t especially quick but it handled superbly. There are no known photos of the King with the Ferrari, however it currently resides in the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum at Graceland - Memphis, TN.
Visit our classic Ferrari gallery here
1977 Cadillac Seville
It’s fitting that the last car Elvis ever bought was a Cadillac. Released in 1976, the Seville was the first compact Caddie - produced in response to the increase in sales of mid-sized European luxury cars. The Seville was a hit with wealthy Americans looking to downsize their gas guzzling land yachts.
Elvis had his Seville customized with two-tone silver-over-maroon paintwork, a custom grille, wire wheels, white wall tires and plush grey leather interior.
The Seville was Cadillac’s first mid-sized car, which didn’t stop Elvis from wanting the latest from America’s most prestigious marque
A bright eyed young Elvis at the wheel of his Rolls Royce
About the author
Raph Tripp is a passionate classic car enthusiast, writer, and founder of TunnelRam.net. He recently sold his ‘66 428 Tbird and has previously owned a ‘65 Mustang, GTS350 Monaro, Falcon hardtop, ‘67 Pontiac and numerous Aussie Chryslers. If you wish to publish this article in part or in whole, please credit Raph Tripp and tunnelram.net . This is an original Tunnel Ram production ©2022 Tunnel Ram. All images remain the property of the original copyright holders.