Buy Elvis Presley’s custom Cadillac: time is running out

The last ride for the King of Rock and Roll

Throughout his record-breaking career, Elvis Presley was known to be a keen car collector. The King of Rock and Roll owned everything from Ford Thunderbirds to Ferraris, along with a custom Mercedes-Benz and numerous Rolls-Royces.

Cadillacs also played a big part in Elvis’ car collecting. Indeed, he was once reported to have purchased 30 in one morning.

Now the very last Cadillac personally bought and driven by the King is being sold by sealed bids through Bonhams Cars Online.

A Caddy fit for a King

Elvis is said to have bought more than 200 Cadillacs during his lifetime, but the very final example was this 1977 Seville, with bodywork by Fisher.

Presley purchased this Cadillac for his own use, rather than gifting it to friends or family – as he was often known to do.

Aimed at capturing the youth market

Launched in 1975, the first-generation Cadillac Seville was intended to rival the increasing popularity of imported European luxury cars.

Slotting into the model range as the smallest four-door Cadillac, the Seville brought younger buyers to the traditional American auto brand.

As such, Elvis would have been a prime candidate to buy a Seville, being just 42 years old when he bought this example.

Something for Everybody

The Seville was said to be inspired by the contemporary Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, offering a premium image at a much lower cost.

Naturally, Elvis needed to put his own personal stamp on the Seville. This meant specifying the bold two-tone silver over burgundy paint scheme seen here.

Chrome wire wheels wearing whitewall rubber complete the retro look.

Easy Come – Easy Go

Powering the Seville is a 350-cubic inch (5.7-l) ‘Oldsmobile V8’ engine. It was the first mass-market American car to be fitted with electronic fuel injection as standard.

However, emissions rules of the time meant that even an engine of this size could only produce 180 hp. Contending with a three-speed automatic transmission, performance is best described as ‘smooth and steady’.

Love Me Tender

The car’s odometer records 58,000 miles in total. Bonhams notes that its V8 engine has seen only minimal use in recent years, but still fires up when asked.

However, the Cadillac has spent the majority of its life on display as a museum piece, so it could benefit from some gentle recommissioning before hitting the road again.

Follow That Dream

If there was any doubt that Elvis preferred to drive, rather than be driven, then the Seville provides compelling evidence.

One of the King’s requested accessories was a CB radio. This allowed him to contact his staff back at the Graceland mansion, letting the security guards (and kitchen staff) know he was returning.

Elvis at the wheel

According to Bonhams, this Seville was the very car Elvis drove the day before his untimely death in August 1977.

It makes for a hugely significant piece of pop culture and automotive history, given that the King himself unknowingly spent his final hours driving the Cadillac.

Heartbreak Hotel

Elvis died on 16 August 1977, shortly before he was due to start another tour.

Within nine days of his death, his father had transferred ownership of the Cadillac Seville to Ginger Alden, Presley’s fiancee at the time.

Alden owned the Caddy until 1982, when it was sold to Jimmy Velvet to become part of the Elvis Presley Museum.

Proving the provenance

Naturally, given Elvis’ penchant for purchasing vast numbers of cars, there is always the risk of chancers trying to pass off ‘normal’ vehicles as those touched by the King.

Bonhams has done its due diligence on this Cadillac, however, with a paper trail showing the provenance behind it. Most significantly, this includes a title document with Elvis Presley’s name, matched to the chassis number of the Seville.

A certified museum piece

Among the documents included with the Cadillac is a certificate of authenticity from the official Elvis Presley Museum.

It records that the Seville was undeniably the personal property of Elvis, along with its subsequent ownership story until being sold at auction in 1994.

There are even signed photographs from Elvis’ personal bodyguards included, too. As Bonhams notes, the ‘Memphis Mafia’ would have known this car well, and can therefore vouch for its authenticity.

From Memphis to Vegas

Kept as part of the Jimmy Velvet Collection until 1994, the Seville was then sold by Scott Velvet at a wider auction of items from the Elvis Presley Museum.

A price of $101,500 was paid for the Seville, with the sale taking place at the Las Vegas Hilton resort.

From Vegas to Memphis

Some two decades later in 2014, the Cadillac returned to the Graceland mansion in Memphis to be auctioned.

Purchased by the current vendor, the car made a trip across the Atlantic to the UK. The vendors generously agreed to loan the car to Lord Montagu’s National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, where it was displayed to the public.

He Touched Me

Since the Seville left Elvis’ possession it has not been unrestored, preserving it just as when Presley last drove it. That means the very same plush leather seat he sat on, and the exact steering wheel he used to guide the Caddy down the road.

Bonhams notes that the leather upholstery is holding up well, with only some light cracks and creases. The driver’s seat itself does seem to be drooping slightly, however, and some of the interior trim is becoming detached.

More importantly, the CB radio is still present, as are acres of faux-wood detailing and suitably plush carpets.

Take Good Care of Her

On the outside, the Seville is said to look respectable from a distance, with no major issues noted on the bodywork. The chrome wire wheels would benefit from being refinished, while the rear light clusters are making a bid for freedom.

Small patches of rust can be seen flaring up, and there are stone chips and scuffs visible on closer inspection on the burgundy and silver paintwork.

For many potential buyers, this is unlikely to matter. That the car has a patina associated with ownership by Elvis means its mechanical and aesthetic condition are part of its appeal.

Promised Land

Bonhams Cars Online is selling the Cadillac Seville through a sealed bids auction, which runs until 25 November 2024. This leaves plenty of time to start planning where you could park this very famous Cadillac.

Putting a price tag on a piece of cultural memorabilia is almost impossible, given the original owner.

It seems likely to become the world’s most expensive Cadillac Seville, though. Time will tell…