Elvis Presley's private jet up for sale in Los Angeles
04 August, 2022
Fans who can't help falling in love with Elvis Presley can soon buy almost 200 of his possessions at auction.
Top of the Los Angeles billing is a Lockheed Jetstar private jet, purchased by The King for his father Vernon in 1976, just a year before his death.
It was previously up for sale in 2018, when it was listed on Dubizzle, the UAE's largest online classifieds site, but has been sat in a New Mexico desert since then.
With space for eight passengers, the 1962 custom-made plane has red velvet interiors, deep pile carpets and wood panelling. There's a bathroom and a music system, ideal for buyers wanting to listen to Burning Love, All Shook Up or any of the other hundreds of Elvis hits. One of only 204 manufactured in what was a private project between Jetstar and Lockheed, the aircraft was a favourite with A-listers such as Frank Sinatra, President Lyndon B Johnson and country music legend Kenny Rogers, who all owned the same type. It has a reserve price of $100,000.
Elvis’ former jet is owned by an 80-year-old fan who's keen to see the aircraft restored, said GWS Auctions, the company facilitating the sale.
But any new owner who hopes to take the singer’s jet into the air might face a challenge. The aircraft has no engines and most components from its cockpit are missing, rendering it no longer airworthy.
The jet has seen better days and layers of rust are visible on the exterior. It will also need to be disassembled before being shipped to the winning bidder.
The aircraft will be sold with a letter from Elvis's former wife Priscilla Presley.
“This is a very significant piece of history as it was the only jet Elvis bought with his father. Elvis always wished to support his father's entrepreneurial endeavours, especially after losing his mother so early. Elvis loved and respected his father very much and this jet is a piece of him and his father's heart,” she states in the letter.
Buyers will also receive a full copy of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Blue Ribbon Certified Documents of the aircraft's history.
The private jet is not the only Elvis memento going under the hammer at the Sunset Marquis hotel in Los Angeles on August 27.
Among the lots are Elvis’s 1968 Hagstrom V2 guitar, which has a $750,000 price tag, the original Heartbreak Hotel lyrics board listed at $50,000 and a 1973 Lincoln Continental Limousine, which was owned and driven by the star.
There's also a huge collection of personal jewellery that belonged to Elvis and his manager Colonel Tom Parker, including jewel-encrusted rings, gold cufflinks and luxury watches. The items were part of a lost collection and do not belong to Priscilla Presley.
Source: www.thenationalnews.com
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