Elvis' Private Jets To Be Auctioned

Bedroom on the Lisa Marie, one of Elvis Presley's two private jets.
(Image: bbc.co.uk)

If you're in the market for a private jet decorated in a circa mid-1970s style, consider bidding on one of Elvis Presley's two private jets. According to a BBC report, the King's air transportation will be available for purchase via auction in the coming days. While neither aircraft is currently fit for flight, both planes' interiors retain Elvis' taste for tasteless style (e.g., gold faucets) and his uninhibited embrace of luxury.

Presley never took his rags-to-riches story for granted. Today's tech zillionaires offer an interesting counterpoint to the King. Some Silicon Valley monarchs believe they are a priori entitled to private jets and other trappings of success. In contrast, the late Elvis Presley seems like a breath of fresh air: the King always knew he was a hound dog. The private jets were his way of both recognizing his low-down soul and celebrating his apotheosis into an immortal icon.

Elvis Presley's "Lost" BMW To Be Displayed

Elvis Presley's BMW 507 Roadster
on display in Munich
(Image: bmwblog.com)

During Elvis Presley's tour of duty in Germany, he purchased a BMW 507 Roadster. The story, as related by Horatiu Boeriu in bmwblog.com, has some twists and turns (seems suitable for The King). Elvis had the car's color changed from its original white to red, purportedly because Elvis really wanted a red Porsche Spyder and couldn't obtain one. Presley eventually sold his BMW to an Alabama disc jockey. The Beemer, after seeing some action as a drag racing vehicle, ended up in a dusty California warehouse and seemed destined for a rusty obscurity. The car's current owner recently shipped the iconic vehicle to BMW's home office in Munich. The firm intends to exhibit the car, and later restore Elvis' 507 to its original state and remind visitors of its former glamour.

I know a couple of car enthusiasts who would welcome an opportunity to test drive Elvis' machine. I would, too, just to say I have driven in the King's chariot.

Elvis' LA Home for Sale

Elvis' LA home (photo from LA Times)

If you have $13 million and you're an Elvis Presley fan, you're in luck. According to a BBC report, the King's LA home is for sale.

The home does not come with Elvis outfits, recordings of Presley's music, or bobble head dolls. I wonder what a house inspector finds when the buyer and seller approach closing. Better yet, I wonder what the selling agent's spiel would be.

Elvis Presley As Rapper?

Would Elvis Presley, born on this day in 1935, have been a world-class rapper? It's not hard to imagine him, in a different time, giving the genre a go. He wanted to incite a crowd, which rappers have the knack of doing. However, perhaps we're fortunate to have been spared Elvis as rapper. A roomful of rapping Elvis impersonators would be unbearable.

We'll settle for the King and his court singing Mystery Train.