Presley was an impulse shopper, especially when it comes to cars. So, it is not strange that he bought a 1962 Thunderbird Roadster as soon as he saw one at his Memphis area dealership. In 1962, the Thunderbird was one of the most interesting American luxury models with its rocket-inspired styling and powerful engine.
Even though the Ford Mustang was an economy car that flew under the radar of Elvis’s expensive tastes, he owned one for a short time. In fact, Elvis bought a red coupe, but shortly after that, he gave it away to his brother-in-law.
In the late ’60s, one of the most exclusive limousines you could get was Lincoln’s Executive model the Lehman and Peterson company built. They based those cars on the regular Continental series but modified them according to their customer’s wishes. Of course, Elvis had to have one of those, which he often used while he was in the LA area in the late ’60s.
In that period, it looked like Elvis started to prefer Lincolns over Cadillacs. So, in 1969, he purchased the new Lincoln Mark III coupe, which was one of the finest personal luxury cars of the period. The car, along with many of his others, was stationed at his Beverly Hills mansion where he stayed while in California.
One of the rarest European luxury sedans was the legendary Mercedes 600 Elvis bought in 1970. In those days, the Mercedes 600 was the choice of dictators, world celebrities, and most famous rock stars, so naturally, Elvis got one for himself. Although the car had California license plates, fans often saw it during his days in Las Vegas.
The early ’70s saw the re-birth of one of the most iconic American brands, the Stutz. They discontinued the company in the ’30s, but Jules Meyers, an investment banker, revived it. The ’70s Stutz models were coupes they built on a Pontiac Grand Prix base. Also, they fitted it with special, retro-inspired bodywork and numerous extra features.
Of course, Elvis was more than interested when he saw the car. In fact, Elvis owned four of them during his lifetime, although some sources say that he had five Stutz Blackhawks to his name.
Elvis preferred luxury coupes and limousines, but he owned several sports cars. And, one of those was a yellow De Tomaso Pantera he got in the early ’70s. The car became famous because Elvis shot it several times since it refused to start and he got angry. The yellow Pantera is in a private collection today. They left the bullet holes intact as a testament to Elvis’s sometimes strange and erratic behavior.
One of the cars visitors can see at Graceland is the black Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 Elvis purchased in 1975. The car was his first and only Ferrari, but he rarely used it. During his last years, due to his weight problem, Elvis preferred more comfortable, spacious models and personal luxury cars.
The two-tone 1977 Cadillac Seville was the last Cadillac Elvis bought shortly before he died in 1977. At first, the Seville was a down-sized Cadillac. And, even though it was a Caddy, some buyers regarded it as not as good as those regular full-sized models from before. However, Elvis bought it and loved it, so it means the Seville is a true Cadillac from bumper to bumper.
The last Cadillac Elvis rode in was a 1977 Miller-Meteor Hearse, which they used in his funeral procession. The white hearse was at the front of the long motorcade of white Cadillacs, police bikes, and other vehicles. It was the appropriate way to say farewell to the King of Rock and Roll as well as one of the biggest car enthusiasts in popular culture.
These were 20 of the best cars the legendary Elvis Presley owned back in his heyday. Which one is your favorite? Be sure to view some of these cars the next time you visit the infamous Graceland.