Photo: Graceland
Elvis Presley, forever The King of rock’n’roll, loved cars and motorcycles – both to own and to hand out as presents to family members, friends or even one-time acquaintances. As luck would have it (for him), he was rich enough to indulge in this without worrying about money.
The collection left behind on his death numbers dozens of vehicles, some rare and some customized, all of them priceless collectibles. During his lifetime, The King bought hundreds of cars, including some 200 Lincolns that he gave away – 32 of them in just one early morning shopping spree.
Of the Lincolns that Presley bought for himself, notable is the white 1956 Continental Mark II, both because of the years he ended up keeping it and the strange slash funny story behind its acquisition. That same Lincoln, still in pristine condition, has now temporarily moved from the Presley Motors Museum at Graceland to the Lincoln display at the 2022 New York International Auto Show.
Though the Continental was not technically a Lincoln when he bought it (Lincoln was yet to incorporate Continental), the classic has been included in the carmaker’s ongoing 100th anniversary celebrations. Lincoln announced the very special appearance earlier this month.
Angie Marchese, Graceland vice president of archives and exhibits, tells Fox Auto that Elvis bought the ‘56 Continental, which came with a price sticker of $10,688, out of a whim – as he did most cars. He had been performing in Miami and, when he came out to his Lincoln Premier to leave the venue, he found it covered in lipstick and love notes, as was usual with his legions of adoring fans.
When you’re someone as famous and as rich as Elvis, you simply don’t do car washes. So, instead of taking the Premier to get cleaned up, he drove it to the Miami Lincoln dealership to trade it in for a newer, all-white, clean Continental Mark II, with rear suspension and power steering and a presence that matched The King’s.
Elvis would use the car for the rest of the tour and then drove it back home to Memphis. He also drove it to New Orleans while he filmed King Creole, but sold it when he returned from military service in Germany. Graceland bought it back just recently and now, when it’s not on display at the hottest auto show of the moment (especially considering the extended break caused by the international health crisis), it sits at the Presley museum.
Of the Lincolns that Presley bought for himself, notable is the white 1956 Continental Mark II, both because of the years he ended up keeping it and the strange slash funny story behind its acquisition. That same Lincoln, still in pristine condition, has now temporarily moved from the Presley Motors Museum at Graceland to the Lincoln display at the 2022 New York International Auto Show.
Though the Continental was not technically a Lincoln when he bought it (Lincoln was yet to incorporate Continental), the classic has been included in the carmaker’s ongoing 100th anniversary celebrations. Lincoln announced the very special appearance earlier this month.
Angie Marchese, Graceland vice president of archives and exhibits, tells Fox Auto that Elvis bought the ‘56 Continental, which came with a price sticker of $10,688, out of a whim – as he did most cars. He had been performing in Miami and, when he came out to his Lincoln Premier to leave the venue, he found it covered in lipstick and love notes, as was usual with his legions of adoring fans.
When you’re someone as famous and as rich as Elvis, you simply don’t do car washes. So, instead of taking the Premier to get cleaned up, he drove it to the Miami Lincoln dealership to trade it in for a newer, all-white, clean Continental Mark II, with rear suspension and power steering and a presence that matched The King’s.
Elvis would use the car for the rest of the tour and then drove it back home to Memphis. He also drove it to New Orleans while he filmed King Creole, but sold it when he returned from military service in Germany. Graceland bought it back just recently and now, when it’s not on display at the hottest auto show of the moment (especially considering the extended break caused by the international health crisis), it sits at the Presley museum.
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