Elvis Presley
1955 Cadillac Series 60 Fleetwood Special
Photo details
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Photo details
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The blue Cadillac that became the pink one
- Connection
- Former owner · later family gift
- When
- Purchased July 7, 1955 · later given to Gladys Presley
- Identity
- Individual 1955 Cadillac Series 60 Fleetwood Special preserved at Graceland · no chassis number claimed
This was Elvis Presley’s second pink Cadillac, not the used 1954 car that burned beside the road. Graceland says his manager helped finance a new Cadillac Series 60 Fleetwood Special on July 7, 1955. It arrived blue with a black roof, and Presley had the body repainted pink for the band’s touring life.
An accident on September 2 changed the car again. Graceland records that the repair produced the familiar pink body and white roof. Presley later gave the Cadillac to his mother, Gladys, who did not have a driver’s license. Joyride therefore treats this as former ownership followed by a family gift, not a present-ownership claim.
The identity trail also separates the original from the lookalikes. Graceland wrote in January 2020 that the actual 1955 Fleetwood resided in its Presley Motors exhibit and warned that thousands of pink finned-Cadillac tribute cars exist. Carol VanHook’s July 8, 2014 photograph identifies this museum display at Graceland; it is not a generic same-model substitute. The 2020 museum statement is the latest custody evidence used here, not a claim about custody in 2026.
Where the car went next
- July 7, 1955A new Fleetwood for the road
After Presley’s earlier used pink Cadillac burned, his manager helped finance this new blue-and-black Series 60 Fleetwood Special.
- Summer 1955Blue becomes pink
Presley had the body repainted pink while retaining the black roof; the touring association belongs to this individual car.
- September 2, 1955The familiar two-tone finish
After an accident, the repaired Cadillac emerged in the pink-and-white color scheme preserved at Graceland.
- By January 27, 2020Family gift, then museum exhibit
Presley gave the car to his mother, Gladys. Graceland later reported the original in its Presley Motors exhibit; Joyride does not extend that dated statement into a current-2026 custody claim.
Sources for this story
Graceland’s official history identifies the individual 1955 Series 60 Fleetwood Special, purchase date, original colors, repaint, accident repair, touring role, gift to Gladys Presley and January 2020 museum location. It explicitly distinguishes the original from tribute cars. No chassis number, 2026 owner or custodian, untouched original finish, complete Cadillac-family coverage, exact Joyride catalog link or compatible game entry is claimed.
- From Graceland to Raceland: Elvis’ Pink Cadillac to Headline Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Pennzoil AutoFairGraceland · 2020-01-27 · external source
The exact 1955 Series 60 Fleetwood Special, July 7 purchase, original colors, pink and later white-roof repaints, touring use, gift to Gladys, distinction from tribute cars and January 2020 Presley Motors location.
- Elvis at The O2 Exhibition Extended, Pink Cadillac to Go On Display June 17Graceland · 2015-06-01 · external source
Independent Graceland account of the July 7, 1955 purchase, blue-and-black delivery, pink repaint, September 1955 accident and later pink-and-white appearance.
Reviewed
Why this is the actual car
- Photo identity evidence
Graceland identifies the original pink-and-white 1955 Fleetwood and says it remained in Memphis from the 1982 museum opening until a 2015 London trip, supporting the individual-car identity of a 2014 Graceland museum photograph.
- Photo identity evidence
Carol VanHook identifies the July 8, 2014 photograph as the 1955 pink Fleetwood in the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum at Graceland; Commons verifies CC BY 2.0.
The matching photographer, venue, date and vehicle history establish the identification; the chassis stamp is not visible in these photographs.