On 12 November, an eight-seat Cadillac Fleetwood 75 Limousine will go up for auction at the Bonhams sale in Los Angeles. But this isn't any normal Cadillac Limousine, no sir: it's the one previously owned by Elvis ‘The King’ Presley.

Before signing to record label RCA in late 1955, a young Elvis was looking for a suitable car to ferry him, his band and their equipment (which was apparently strapped to the roof) from state to state for various concerts. The space required – plus his penchant for Cadillacs – left him with only one obvious choice: an eight-seat Fleetwood 75 Limousine. The car was delivered in January 1956 with light blue paintwork, but Elvis soon had it repainted in black.

After its ‘royal’ duties transporting ‘The King’ across the South, the special Fleetwood spent many years on display in various Elvis museums before ending up in its present tenure. It is offered with the original conditional sales contract (co-signed by Elvis' father, Vernon Presley), as well as the original owner's manual with Elvis' signature on the back cover – the only thing missing is a pair of blue suede shoes. The estimate is 100,000-150,000 U.S. dollars.

The Bonhams ‘Classic California’ auction takes place on the 12 November at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. For more information visit www.bonhams.com.

Text: Joe Breeze
Photos: Bonhams