Elvis Presley’s Abandoned Private Jet Sells for $260K
Elvis Presley's 1969 jet — which sat at Roswell International Air Center in New Mexico for nearly 40 years — was auctioned off last month and sold for a price of $260,000.
Priscilla Presley was present at the Mecum Kissimmee Collector Car auction in Florida on Jan. 8, which would have been Presley's 88th birthday.
Before auctioning off the Lockheed 1329 Jetstar, Priscilla addressed the crowd, talking about her former husband's "joy" of collecting cars and planes, according to People. She watched as the bidding got underway, beginning at $100,000. The lucky buyer wasn't present, but instead sent their bids by phone.
Photos show the outside of the plane as quite dilapidated, and the plane's original design has faded over the years. The inside of the plane, however, is like a trip back in time: It features passenger chairs and a couch that are covered in red velvet upholstery. The floor matches the seats with red carpet. Throughout the jet are echoes of the 1960s, with a wooden entertainment console, wood paneling and gold accents.
The plane also features a lavatory with a vanity area and a galley with a meal-prep area, drink dispenser and microwave.
Businessman Jim Gagliardi was the last owner of the jet, according to the Robb Report. He purchased it for $430,000 at a 2017 auction and had planned to use it as an attraction at an equipment dealership he owns, but the plane never left New Mexico. The new mystery buyer will be tasked with transporting the plane off of the Roswell International Air Center lot — a job that will require some disassembly.
Presley originally purchased the plane one year before his death in 1976 for $840,000. The plane was reportedly used to transport his TCB Band, backup vocalists, manager Col. Tom Parker and the Memphis mafia.