1960 Cadillac Series 75 Fleetwood Limousine.
Cadillac was purchased from Southern Motors, Inc., in Memphis, for $11,064.25 on December 22, 1959, and delivered on December 29, of that year.
In Front of Graceland
Elvis made a deposit of $2,000 to George Barris of Batmobile fame in November 1961, and an additional $3,000 in March 1962.
Photos taken just after it was first customized by Barris in March/April 1962.
Forty coats of exterior paint made with pearl, diamond dust and oriental fish scales were used on the outside. Hubcaps, wheel covers, headlight rims and grille were plated in 24 karat gold.
Barris made Elvis’ car truly unique. It featured with a gold-plated phone, shoe buffer, refrigerator, entertainment console with RCA record player, tape deck and swivel television set.
The headliner consisted of vent panels with gold interior lights and a center strip array of biscuit tufted with a double row of gold plated engraved records which were duplicates of his gold records.
In 1965, ‘Tickle Me’, Elvis’ latest movie was to be release in June and Colonel Parker knew he couldn’t send Elvis out on the road, on a promotional tour.
Instead, as a promotional tour tie-in for Elvis’ movies, the Colonel persuaded RCA Records to buy Elvis’ Gold Cadillac for $24,000. Colonel and RCA sent Elvis’ Gold Cadillac on tour in the spring of 1965.
Photos taken around Feb/March 1965 just before it went on tour. It was back at Barris’ workshop before it went on tour for some changes to be made to it.
Gabe Tucker was Colonel’s right-hand man and tour manager for RCA, helped oversee the project.
Between 1965 and 1966, Elvis’ Gold Cadillac made appearances at Cinemas and in Shopping Centers across the U.S.
1965 Spring tour made 16 stops in the Southeast totaling Estimated attendance: 150,500 with two 50,000 events.
Rialto Theater, Atlanta, Georgia – May 28 – On display for four days. Estimated attendance: 50,000.
John Lee’s Music Store, Anderson, South Carolina – June 12 – On display for one day. Estimated attendance: 50,000.
1965 Spring tour data from THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF GRACELAND Dec. 15, 2017, Elvis Presley, and the Gold Cadillac Tour.
Sometime in ’65… Gabe’s TCB…
On March 10, 1966, Elvis’ Gold Cadillac was brought to Dodgers Stadium’s parking lot in Los Angeles, during the filming of ‘Spinout’.
Colonel enlisted Elvis and some friends to appear in Promotional Photos before sending the car on its way.
Photo on left; Colonel in center with Gabe on his left. Photo on right; Gabe and Elvis.
So far, only color photo found from this Promotional Photo Shoot. Men with Elvis are from RCA, one on the right is Grelun Landon who helped get the Cadillac into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1977.
Colonel, Elvis and Larry Geller. Elvis with Spinout’s leading ladies: Deborah Walley, Shelley Fabares, and Diane McBain.
Newspaper articles from Corpus Christi Times Sun Aug 21, 1966, The Kansas City Times Mon Sep 19, 1966, Springfield Leader and Press Wed Sep 21, 1966, and Chicago Tribune Mon Sep 26, 1966.
RCA sent Elvis’ Gold Cadillac out to local premiers around the country and at the same time used the draw of the car, to distribute promotional items such as Postcards, Record and 8-Track Catalogs, and a Souvenir Brochure.
From Souvenir’s Brochure: A Fact Sheet on Elvis Presley’s Custom Built Cadillac
Starting as a 1960 Cadillac Seventy-five Limousine, which was a perennial favorite for Mr. Presley, he desired to have an individual classic styled automobile built for his own enthusiastic pleasures. Being an original automotive enthusiast and acquiring several cars for his personal use he obtained Barris Kustom City of North Hollywood, California, to style and construct the necessary changes on this Cadillac chassis. Many designs and artist renderings plus engineering drawings were proposed to Mr. Presley before the project went under construction.
Exterior modifications consisted of the following: the top was lengthened with all rear quarter windows removed and paneled with small portholes formed and fitted into the blank sections. Also, a smaller size rear window was installed into the top back section. The complete top was then covered with a coarse grain white pearl naugahyde material. Headlight rims, rear panel and front sections are all plated in 24 Karat gold. Hand spun hub caps bullets and flanges are also 24 Karat gold.
The auto is painted with forty coats of translucent pure diamond dust pearl which consist of crushed diamonds and pure fish scales from the Orient. These were mixed in a plastic liquid base and sprayed under high pressure with solvent guns; and then hand rubbed to a high mirrorlike lustre.
The interior design theme is carried with the yacht styling in mind with a plush elaborate lounge section. The rear top panel is in a horseshoe pattern with air foam biscuit tufted panels made from gold frieze imported from France with inserted pearl buttons. Portholes are also installed into the paneled sections with or without covers. All two tone trim was done in white pearl naugahyde back up were pure air foam. The rear seat is a semi half circle with the same design biscuit and beaded pleats throughout the center seat section. Gold lame drapes are used to cover all the rear compartment glass openings and also between the front and rear seats.
All metal trim throughout the door panels, etc. are 24 Karat gold plate. The headliner consisted of vent panels with gold interior lights and a center strip array of biscuit tufted with a double row of gold plated engraved records which were duplicates of his gold records. The complete flooring is done in white mouton fur extending from the front to rear seat.
More Facts on Elvis’ Custom Built Cadillac to come, so Stay Tuned!
See in RCA Menu: Catalogs the VERY RARE Souvenir Brochure contains RCA Advertising of Elvis’ Records and Movies inside.
As 1966 was coming to an end, Elvis’ Gold Cadillac tour proved to be a great success.
Then it was announced that the car would be going on a tour of Australia for a fund raising.
Seven Santini Brothers Moving and Storage getting car ready to ship to Australia.
Photo from Elvis Information Network website Book Review: “Elvis Presley’s GOLD Cadillac Tour of AUSTRALASIA 1968-69” by Nigel Patterson December 2011.
Glenn Reimer is working with Bob Hayden on the new Cadillac book.
Special thanks go to the following people who helped with newspaper articles, photos and photo information; Daryl Restly, Glenn Reimer and Joe Tunzi.
See in Articles page, Elvis’ Gold Cadillac with Tapes.