Elvis Owned Over 200 Cadillacs With a Preference for Pink Models
Elvis Presley, or the King of Rock and Roll, simply needs no introduction as he’s one of the most popular and well-known figures in music history. It’s hard to say how much of an impact he’s had on pop culture, but one of his contributions was actually related to cars.
Like many musicians, Presley loved cars, and for ‘The King,’ the ’50s and ’60s were a great time to be buying cars. Those were the days of the muscle car, and naturally, ‘The King’ got himself plenty of American muscle. Here’s a look at Elvis Presley’s Caddy collection and his iconic Pink Cadillac.
A quick overview of Elvis Presley’s career
The ’50s were an interesting time in American history, as race and sexuality issues were just starting to build up steam into the protests and movements that would happen in the ’60s. Presley, meanwhile, needed to separate himself from the pack, and one thing that he did, according to SBS, was that he made music that was clearly inspired by the Black musicians of his day.
On top of that, he also performed his songs with dance moves that were considered to be provocative in those days. This potent combination led him to great success in the music industry, but he didn’t stop there. ‘The King’ also became a well-known actor, and he starred in many films that only made him more popular.
However, Presley met his end at the young age of 42 in 1977, when he died from a heart attack. When he died, he was only worth about $20 million. But, due to the timelessness of his music, his estate is currently estimated to be worth about $300 million.
Elvis Presley’s massive Cadillac collection
Before ‘The King’ made it big though, he, like most people, were dreamers, according to Hot Cars. He dreamed of getting a nice, shiny car, and when he finally found success, that’s exactly what he did.
In 1955, Presley bought his first Caddy, and it was a Fleetwood Series 60. This car had a decently powerful 6.0-liter V8 that got 285-hp, but ‘The King’ and his band, ‘The Blue Moon Boys,’ mostly just used this Caddy for getting from place to place. This Caddy also happened to be pink, but it didn’t last very long as a car.
Hot Cars wrote that, just a few months after Presley bought this Caddy, it broke down. After this incident, Presley decided to get another Cadillac, and that eventually became the start of his Caddy collection.
He’s estimated to have bought over 200 Cadillacs. That said, he also gave most of them away to his family and friends. However, one of those Cadillacs become an icon.
Elvis Presley’s Pink Caddy
After his first pink Caddy broke down, ‘The King’ went and bought another Caddy. This Caddy was still a Fleetwood Series 60, but it had a blue paint job. Like Hot Cars said, his song, ‘Baby Let’s Play House,’ was a hit at the time, and in that song, he sings about a pink Cadillac.
Since his first pink Cadillac got wrecked, he decided to turn his new Cadillac into the Pink Cadillac that it will forever be known as.
He got his neighbor to give his Caddy a new paint job, and the color that the neighbor used is now known as “Elvis Rose,” according to Hot Cars. ‘The King’ was generous with his Pink Cadillac, and he shared it with his family and friends.
This generosity continued past his death, since when he died, his Pink Cadillac became a monument to him and his memory. Currently, Presley’s Pink Cadillac is parked at the Graceland Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.
