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Elvis Presley's Last Cadillac Is a 6K-Mile, 45-Year-Old Time Capsule

Dubbed the "King of Rock and Roll," Elvis Presley loved to sing and party. But he also loved Cadillacs. He bought his first Cadillac in 1955 and remained a loyal customer until he passed away in 1977.
1977 Cadillac Eldorado 6 photos
Photo: Horsepower Warehouse/YouTube
1977 Cadillac Eldorado1977 Cadillac Eldorado1977 Cadillac Eldorado1977 Cadillac Eldorado1977 Cadillac Eldorado
Sure, he owned other cars as well, including the 1971 Stutz Blackhawk that found a new home in November 2022 for almost $300,000, but Elvis was primarily seen in Cadillacs. And not only he used them for personal transportation and touring, but he also gave them away to family, friends, and even complete strangers.

There are no records as to how many he purchased in over two decades, but we're talking about tens of them. The actual numbers will remain a mystery, but some of the Cadillacs he bought are quite legendary. The pink 1955 Fleetwood Sixty Special, for instance, is arguably the most iconic.

Many of them aren't all that famous, but this 1977 Eldorado in metallic blue definitely deserves more attention. Why? Well, it's the last Cadillac that Elvis Presley paid for. It's also one of those cars he gave away.

Specifically, he purchased this Eldorado two-door for Shirley Dieu, the girlfriend of Joe Esposito, his road manager. The story goes that Shirley initially got a green 1976 Eldorado after the dealership could not locate a white example, which was her first choice. Unable to get her the white Cadillac throughout 1976, the dealer offered her the blue Eldorado in early 1977. She liked it and Elvis paid for the car in April 1977, less than four months before he died.

It wasn't the last vehicle he bought though. In June, Elvis signed a check for a 1977 Lincoln Mark V. While Presley didn't drive the Eldorado, he rode in the car with Esposito and Dieu during one of his final visits to Los Angeles.

Come 2022 and the Cadillac looks just as stunning as it did back in 1977. It's still all-original from bumper to bumper and it has only 6,620 miles (10,654 km) on the odometer. The stunning classic was dropped by Horsepower Warehouse and you can see a full walkaround from the 6:00-minute mark in the video below.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
Ciprian Florea profile photo

Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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