Elvis Presley was a fan of the finer things in life. For this reason, his wife, Priscilla, gifted him with this luxurious vehicle.
If you have the funds, then why not?
Priscilla Presley wanted only the best for her beloved husband of six years. And what do you get someone that has it all? Well, only the finest gifts that money can buy.
Elvis Presley’s estate took to social media to display a picture of the King. He squats next to a brand new car that Priscilla gifted to him in December of 1970. Elvis is 32-years-old in the photo, and the legendary singer looks as dashing as ever in his black pants and patterned sports jacket over a button-up shirt. His trademark jet-black hair is also perfectly in place.
“Elvis loved to give away luxury automobiles to friends, employees, and family. This Mercedes Benz 280SL Roadster was gifted to Priscilla Presley in December 1970. Today, it can be seen at the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum at Graceland. @VisitGraceland”
Under the photo, numerous fans swoop in to inform the estate that this is not a Mercedes but a late 50s Cadillac.
One of Elvis Presley’s Most Expensive Cars
Regardless of which luxury vehicle Elvis Presley was sporting that day, you have to hear the incredible story behind one of the King’s most expensive cars.
Angie Marchese, the Vice President of Archives and Exhibits at Graceland, explains how obsessed fans were the reason behind Elvis Presley’s sudden and significant purchase.
“Elvis was driving a Lincoln on tour in Miami when the fans found him at the hotel, and they decided they were going to leave messages on his car. Which included using everything from lipstick to pen, to whatever they could find to scratch messages in on their car.”
I guess that is just a day in the life of a world-renowned artist. Elvis Presley did what anyone else would do if they had his bank account. He stopped at the nearest car dealership and simply purchased another.
“So Elvis wakes up the next day, goes out to get into the car, and obviously cannot drive it. It is completely covered in love notes and graffiti from the fans. So, he goes to the closest dealership, which happens to be a Mercury dealership where they were actually selling Continentals. Now, this was before Lincoln owned the Continental brand. So, Elvis traded in that car that had all the messages on it to that dealership for this Continental Mark II.”
Elvis Presley may have only spent $10,000 for the lavished car in 1953, but in today’s cash, that is more like $100,000. Quite the price tag for an off0the-cuff purchase.
“At the time, this was one of the most expensive cars you could buy. It actually cost more than a Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce’s at the time were averaging like $6,000. This cost Elvis $10,000. He paid for it with his earnings from that tour. Drove it the rest of the tour, brought it back here to Memphis.”
The Mercedes Benz, Cadillac, and Lincoln Continental were just a few of the hundreds that Elvis Presley drove, bought, or gifted throughout his 42 years.
