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Someone Actually Bought Elvis Presley’s Decaying Jet
Someone Actually Bought Elvis Presley’s Decaying Jet-July 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:13:51

A photo of a red and silver plane on a runway.

Is there anything that’s been previously owned by a famous person that you’d like to get your hands on? Maybe the guitar on? Or perhaps an ? What about an old jet that once belonged to Elvis Presley?

One lucky-ish buyer is now living out that fantasy, after placing the winning $260,000 bid for Presley’s 1962 Lockheed 1329 JetStar airliner at a Mecum auction in Florida, . But what did that happy bidder get for roughly the same price as ?

Well, it’s a sorry sight, if we’re honest. Sure, the plane was owned by The King himself and had a pretty swanky interior in its heyday. But, in 1976 for $840,000.

A photo of the cockpit in Elvis Presley's old plane.

As such, , you might say. For starters, it . That will make moving it from the Roswell International Air Center in New Mexico, where it’s sat for 40 years, a bit of a challenge for the new owner.

The craft is festooned with rust and flaking paintwork. It’s also had so even if it did still have a motor, piloting it wouldn’t be easy. But, the new owner will be pleased to hear that inside the rest of the plane is a slightly better story. There’s unctuous velvet seating for six, which also features gold hardware, such as seatbelt buckles.

Wood cabin paneling and trim also surrounds a retro TV, and there’s an onboard bathroom. The plane also comes with all the essentials, like a built-in microwave, VCR player and even a cassette deck. Luxury.

A photo of the red interior of the old plane.

So, it’s definitely a fixer-upper, or an “incredible restoration opportunity, . But what would you do with this $260,000 piece of rock and roll history?

My fellow Jalopnik writers thought it could be turned into a house, or you could make it into a tiny wedding venue similar to .

Regardless of you, or the actual buyer’s, plans for the plane, don’t expect it to be a big moneyspinner. Where Elvis bought it for $840,000 in the 70s, it was sold to its last buyer for $430,000 in 2017. Now, after covering no additional air miles, it’s dropped a further $230,000 off its value.

Maybe stick to or if you want to make a quick buck off The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

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