One of the world's greatest icons Elvis Presley, also had an iconic car collection that reflected his dazzling stardom. He especially had a burning passion for Cadillacs, sparked by the projection of a daydream. A daydream that became a reality for him. To better understand this spark we need to travel back to the '50s, when Elvis was an employee of Crown Electric Company of Memphis, Tennessee. It was before the star, as we know it, was born. But he hoped and dreamed to one day leave it all behind and rise above it. Cadillacs mesmerized him and launched him into a foreshadowing daydream. As he recalled in an interview: "When I was driving a truck, every time a big shiny car would drive by it would start me sort of daydreaming. I always felt that someday, somehow, something would happen to change everything for me and I'd daydream what I would be."
He ended up owning around 200 Cadillacs, according to some estimates. Many of these he gave away to family and friends.
But probably the most legendary item from his collection was his pink 1954 Fleetwood Series 60 Cadillac.
Elvis' First Pink Cadillac Fleetwood
It was March 1955 when Elvis bought his first Cadillac. This was a testament to his success. He was finally driving the Cadillac and living the dream, not just daydreaming as fancy cars drive by. This was a 1954 Fleetwood Series 60 in the color pink. But this was not the iconic Pink Cadillac, it was just preparing the grounds.
The car was mainly used for getting around by Elvis and The Blue Moon Boys, but not for long. On June the 5th 1955 a failure of a brake lining led to a serious car accident. While that is where the story for the pink 1954 Fleetwood Series 60 ends, the story of Elvis and the Pink Cadillac continues.
Elvis' Second Pink Cadillac Fleetwood
After one month, on July 5th 1955, Elvis buys a Cadillac Fleetwood Series 60, which will be The Pink Cadillac. At the time of the purchase, the car is blue and has a black roof. But as his song "Baby Let's Play House" soars to a high ranking on Billboard Country Singles, he decides to materialize the pink Cadillac he sings about. He trusts no other with this job than his neighbor from Lamar Street, Art, who promises a custom paint job. And so the factory blue was shed for a new pink, the iconic "Elvis Rose".
Elvis soon offers the car as a gift to his mother, Gladys. But, since she never owned a driver's license, the gift remains mostly symbolic, as Elvis drives around in the car a lot of the time.
The car passes driver hands on a rather frequent basis. After all, Elvis was very generous with his cars. So, it was Scotty Moore in the driver's seat when the car was involved in an accident in Texarkana, Texas. Although significant damage was done to the car, it came back to life with an updated design. The black roof now became white.
Joe Esposito also played an important part in the life of the Pink Cadillac. In 1960 Elvis returned from the army and decided to lend his friend the car, while he was making the most out of the freshly purchased 1961 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, which was white with a pink roof.
"Elvis Rose" Forever
If you are wondering where the Pink Cadillac ended up in the end, well... it is now on display at Graceland Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. Now everyone who visits can at least feast their eyes on the iconic car. But in June 2006, with the occasion of a visit from then USA president George W. Bush Jr. and the Prime Minister of Japan, Junichiro Koizumi, the car was moved all the way to the front-drive entrance.
Later that year Bonnie and Stewart Krentzman were granted privileged access and permission to document the original Pink Cadillac to create an exact replica. Ever since it's birth, the twin sister had a noble career path. She made numerous appearances at breast cancer events and shows to raise awareness but also money for education and research.
Last but not least, there was a third pink Cadillac, but this one was a 1957 DeVille. After being on display at Presley Motors Automobile in Graceland, the car was auctioned last year, along with other celebrity items. The vehicle was in a pristine state both outside and inside as it went through a detailed and well-documented restoration. In fact, all the decent documents and archive materials were offered together with the car for the bid.