alsancle Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 https://www.mecum.com/lots/1112919/1969-cadillac-eldorado Purchased new by Elvis Presley from Hillcrest Motor Company in Beverly Hills, California on May 21, 1969 Used by Elvis and Priscilla Presley at their Beverly Hills home from 1969-1973 Copy of original purchase contract and office car record in Elvis' name included The second owner was Max Service, Elvis' mechanic, copy of California ownership certificate and matching Blue license plates included Odometer reads 46,106 miles Triple black color combination Original Black paint and interior The original vinyl top was removed and the roof was sanded, treated and epoxy primed to prevent future corrosion prior to a new top being installed 472 CI V-8 engine Automatic transmission, the original transmission was replaced in 1981 Black leather bucket seats with center console Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted February 15 Author Share Posted February 15 Triple Black, console, Elvis, no reserve. Looks like original paint or very old respray? What do we think for a price? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 It's a $20,000 car but the Elvis factor is a major wild card. People get stupid about celebrity ownership. There are plenty of nice cars, so people are buying the story now. The question is: how relevant is Elvis in 2024? 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Skelly Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 1174 N Hillcrest Rd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 | realtor.com® It wouldn't shock me if it goes for $40,000 or more. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumBob Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 7 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said: It's a $20,000 car but the Elvis factor is a major wild card. People get stupid about celebrity ownership. There are plenty of nice cars, so people are buying the story now. The question is: how relevant is Elvis in 2024? There has to be some crazy Elvis fan who'll pony up big bucks for this car. Is Elvis still relevant in 2024? Yes, to his hardcore fans, but they are aging and dying every day. Elvis has no relevance to young people. IMO, once Elvis got out of the Army, his music went downhill real fast. When he became a fat, drug addicted cartoon of his former self, he lost all credibility. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil morse Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 7 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said: People get stupid about celebrity ownership. I agree, but I have never understood this phenomenon. Some kind of custom-built car is one thing, but to pay a big premium for a standard production vehicle just because some celebrity once owned it seems crazy to me. It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where George Costanza buys a faux-woody Chrysler K-car and is very proud of it because he has fallen for a story that it once belonged to John Voight! 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f.f.jones Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 1 hour ago, alsancle said: Triple Black, console, Elvis, no reserve. Looks like original paint or very old respray? What do we think for a price? Well, probably $20k for the car and $50k+ for the butt print (documented, of course). 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Jake Moran Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 1 hour ago, DrumBob said: IMO, once Elvis got out of the Army, his music went downhill real fast. When he became a fat, drug addicted cartoon of his former self, he lost all credibility. I understand that sentiment but Elvis was an icon beyond his last years. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Luddy Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 2 hours ago, alsancle said: Triple Black, console, Elvis, no reserve. Looks like original paint or very old respray? What do we think for a price? Without the Elvis connection I'd say $15k. No idea how much the celebrity tax will be. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7th Son Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 (edited) Elvis owned over 200 cars over the years, mostly production models that were available to the general buying public, plus motorcycles and whatever else. You'd think that those numbers would somewhat dilute the "Elvis ad-on" to some extent, but probably not. Edited March 12 by 7th Son (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prewarnut Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 His Mercedes 600 sold a little shy of $300K in 2020 but that's a 600...(interestingly Roy Orbison's sold for $100K more). 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deac Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 I've never been star struck and therefore would not pay a premium a for a car based on it's previous ownership. I guess it's the fact that I've lived in La-La-Land all of my life. The Hillcrest Cadillac dealer no longer but the building still stands used as a Lexus dealership! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumBob Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 3 hours ago, B Jake Moran said: I understand that sentiment but Elvis was an icon beyond his last years. That's true I suppose, but it escapes me as to why, based upon all that we know now about his personal demons. I loved his early Sun Records rockabilly stuff, and some of his pre-Army RCA recordings. After that, it was a LOT of bad movie music for the most part. Elvis was put out to pasture when The Beatles hit big. Decades ago, a paper I was writing for sent me on an assignment to cover a reception held by some woman who wanted to make Elvis's birthday a national holiday. It was all I could do to keep a straight face while I watched her lip sync a really bad song she had written about Elvis. She did it twice. Then, I sat with and interviewed some of the older people who attended, all Elvis fanatics. Their comments were priceless, talking about Presley like he was some God-given deity. Needless to say, Elvis's birthday never became a national holiday. 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 My guess is $200k. Just recently a 76 seville that was owned by him sold for something stupid like 200k or more! When I was 15 I played guitar in a Elvis Tribute band. My first paying gig! The guy that was 'Elvis' had things down pat, all of the costumes, scarves etc. He would rent halls and then hired my band as his backup. This was around 1979 so the craze was in its height. We were busy a couple weekends a month doing this and I made pretty good money for getting to play my guitar for a couple of hours on a saturday night. The women and girls that would show up were absolutely crazy about it. One would think he was the real thing. I cannot elaborate on the 'aftermath' as this is a pg forum but we def. had a lot of fun. In all of the bands I played in this was def. the most memorable one. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58L-Y8 Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 "Then, I sat with and interviewed some of the older people who attended, all Elvis fanatics. Their comments were priceless, talking about Presley like he was some God-given deity." A common sociological phenomenon among a percentage of the population centered on high profile entertainment celebrities and politicians... 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 Kerry good for you!! (Aftetmath!!) I would argue Richard Valle, AKA Big Elvis actually has a better voice and range than "The King" had. Best free show in Vegas, and the crowd is half the fun to watch. Yes grown women crying, etc. As to the car who doesn't love a triple black first gen fwd Eldo? But it will go to an Elvis fan before a collector. My guess is $100k. Won't need any sorting as a static display. A better fate would be a forum member grabs it for only a small premium and drives it like it was stolen.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 11 hours ago, deac said: I've never been star struck and therefore would not pay a premium a for a car based on it's previous ownership. I guess it's the fact that I've lived in La-La-Land all of my life. The Hillcrest Cadillac dealer no longer but the building still stands used as a Lexus dealership! I heard Brian Wilson reference them once in an interview as he went in there in the 80s or 90s to buy a Caddy and met his (current?) wife who was his salesperson. I guess it was a good day at the office for her. 😁 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted February 16 Author Share Posted February 16 Forgetting about the Elvis angle, isn't this a pretty cool car on its own with the triple black and the console/buckets? Understanding that the 69 doesn't bring the money of the 68. I much prefer the earlier hubcaps. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 And I think hidden headlights. But very cool. Actually I think I like these as much as 61 - 65 Lincolns on the other end of the decade - but I think the Caddy might be better from a maintenance and gadget breaking perspective. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Jake Moran Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 2 hours ago, alsancle said: Forgetting about the Elvis angle, isn't this a pretty cool car on its own with the triple black and the console/buckets? Understanding that the 69 doesn't bring the money of the 68. I much prefer the earlier hubcaps. You are absolutely correct. Some have opined that this is a $15,000 car without the Elvis provenance. Not even close. This is a holy grail 1st gen Eldorado FWD car, meaning we as a community have generally talked about how cool a double black (slick top) or triple black 68 Eldorado would be. (1967-1970 same body, some changes) Bucket seats are the single most interesting option on this era of Eldorado. Well, these were all well set up with power accessories anyway so "options" is not that applicable, but buckets seats are on everyone's list of ooohhh options. This is a $30,000 dollar car by itself. The market for 67-70 Eldorados is #2 $14,000 to $19,000 (real world sales). 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Apparently Elvis fandom is alive and well in 2024. The Eldo sold for $253,000. I can't even process that. 1 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Elvis is everywhere... I have a young friend turning 24 in a few weeks and he's big into Elvis. Has even done a couple of Elvis impersonations for a local nursing home and the little old ladies ate it up. Can't say he's a Cadillac man though. This kid has the hots for a 68-69 Barracuda. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikewest Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 If someone wants a famous songwriters car , I've got Pat Ballard's Franklin. His bug song was MrSandman performed by the Chordettes! ( I think his notoriety was a flash the pan ) ..... smile 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Jake Moran Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 13 hours ago, Matt Harwood said: Apparently Elvis fandom is alive and well in 2024. The Eldo sold for $253,000. I can't even process that. Well, there is a lot of money at the high end of this hobby. This hobby is like a bell curve statistically. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 13 hours ago, Matt Harwood said: Apparently Elvis fandom is alive and well in 2024. The Eldo sold for $253,000. I can't even process that. I was only off by 53,000. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leif in Calif Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 1 hour ago, TAKerry said: I was only off by 53,000. I'm not surprised....Steve McQueen's 911 went for over a million! The question I've been asking since I entered the business world: "Where did all these people come from and where did they get all that money?" 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Skelly Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 Apparently Elvis is still alive in the minds of many fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Jake Moran Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 5 hours ago, Leif in Calif said: I'm not surprised....Steve McQueen's 911 went for over a million! The question I've been asking since I entered the business world: "Where did all these people come from and where did they get all that money?" Matt Harwood analyzed this question very well - in my opinion - a few months back. I can only summarize - but there is a large class of millionaires in the US, and Europe, Asia (China). I believe he mentioned that there are people making interest earnings in a given period of time that make these purchases seem like a modest $20 transaction for us. If you have a net worth of $10 million, and your house is paid off, and live a cash existence, then perhaps you have $8 million to invest annually and from that you make 8% Annual interest income, that alone is $640,000. This is a simplistic example I agree, but I will be getting a cash out on a $50,000 investment in late May and I have been mulling purchasing one of a couple saved cars I have on facebook marketplace for $9,000 to $10,000, and my initial investment would not be touched. Different scale of course, but similar dynamics. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 6 hours ago, Jim Skelly said: Apparently Elvis is still alive in the minds of many fans. He shows up at a lot of cruise noght type events... 😉😁 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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