Lisa Marie: The Convair 880 Elvis Presley Turned Into the World’s Most Famous Private Jet

One of these few people was Elvis Presley, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. His first private jet may have very well been the original rock star’s private jet, setting the trend for every other that followed, and it is still an icon today: the Lisa Marie.

Lisa Marie is a Convair 880, one of the 65 units produced between 1959 and 1962, before General Dynamics pulled from the airliner market and declared the Convair project a failure. It is the only one that has been preserved, but a handful more still exist, though not a single one is airworthy anymore. The fact that Elvis owned it is the only reason why the Lisa Marie is still around today and kept in such an excellent condition.

Named after his only child, the daughter he had with his wife Priscilla, Lisa Marie is a fine example of the fancy lifestyle Elvis led. He called it his Flying Graceland and “the pride and joy of Elvis Presley Airlines,” because he always dreamed of owning an entire fleet of aircraft, and it was also known under the nickname Hound Dog I and the tower call name 880 Echo Pappa. Registered N880EP, Lisa Marie took to the skies for the first time under this name on November 27, 1975.

In April of that same year, after a planned deal for a Boeing 707 fell through when Elvis learned that the aircraft was encumbered and that it would have meant international travel restrictions and even more hassling with the IRS, he chose a clean and similarly-sized Convair 880 that had been in operation with Delta Airlines since 1960. He purchased it for $250,000, which is roughly $1.4 million in today’s money, and then handed it over to the same Texas team that had customized Air Force one, for a job that would turn it into a plane fit for a king.

Elvis had very specific ideas of how he wanted his first airplane to look like, and the features it would need to fit his particular lifestyle. He wanted a master suite and two more sleeping areas, an entertaining room that would double as a lounge, and a conference room where he'd discuss business and future plans. He also wanted the best in terms of audio-video equipment, and the finest materials for the finishes.

The refit would last more than six months and cost him upwards of $800,000 ($4.4 million, adjusted for inflation), including a new livery with the Lisa Marie name on the nose, the American flag and the TGB and flash logo, which stood for Elvis’ motto “Taking care of business… in a flash.” During this time, the artist bought a second, smaller plane that he’d use to make frequent trips to the hangar that held the Lisa Marie, overseeing every step of the process, offering input, and bringing friends along to show it off for them. As one does.

When the refit was complete, Elvis got the airplane of his dreams, a private jet that is impressive even by today’s standards. Where the Convair could seat 96 people before, the Lisa Marie now offered seating for 28 people, though Elvis rarely traveled with a party larger than 8 to 10 people. The interior had been divided into different areas, including a conference room with a gorgeous glass table and comfortable conference chairs, a lounge with two couches facing each other and a well-appointed bar, and a master suite with a queen-size bed and an ensuite bathroom.

Everything onboard was dripping in luxury: the wash basin in the master bathroom was plated in 24K gold, as was the faucet. The seat belts inside the master bedroom were also plated in gold, including the one on the bed, which was an FAA standard at the time. Also there was a fold-out reading desk, and a hair and makeup station that, by those days’ standards, was close to a professional one on solid ground.

Finishes included suede and fine leather, precious woods, and plush carpeting. Features included a videotape system connected to three television sets and 52 speakers, a quadraphonic 8-track stereo system, and a sky-to-ground phone system.

Powered by 4 General Electric CJ-805-3 Pod Mount Jets, the Lisa Marie would cruise at 615 mph (989 kph) and have a range of 3,000 miles (4,828 km). Elvis flew on it often, including on many impromptu occasions, like the time he took namesake Lisa Marie to Denver, Colorado, so she could experience real snow. Legend has it that the plane landed there, Elvis and his daughter got out and played in the snow for a few minutes, then boarded the plane again and flew back home to Memphis.

In 1976, operating costs for the Lisa Marie were of $404,000 ($2.1 million, adjusted for inflation), including the permanent four-person crew that Elvis kept on retainer, maintenance and fuel. Vernon Presley, Elvis’ father, sold it in 1978, but Elvis Presley Enterprises made a deal with the owners in 1984 to have it on permanent display at Graceland, which had opened two years prior. In 2014, Elvis Presley Enterprises bought back the Lisa Marie and had it undergo a full restoration, before being put back on display – and open to the public.

It is there today, and will remain there for as long as Graceland stands, having become one of the most visited tourist attractions in the United States. Lisa Marie, the pride and joy of the King’s aircraft fleet, is perhaps the blueprint for the celebrity private jet of today.