Elvis Presley's Pink Cadillac facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elvis Presley's Pink Cadillac |
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Cadillac |
| Production | 1955 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Full-size luxury car |
| Body style | 4-door sedan |
Elvis Presley's famous Pink Cadillac was a 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood. This car became a symbol of its time, was mentioned in popular songs, and inspired many others around the world.
Today, you can see this special car at the Graceland museum in Memphis, Tennessee.
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A Car's Journey: The History of Elvis's Pink Cadillac
In early 1955, Elvis Presley bought his first Cadillac. It was a 1954 Fleetwood Series 60, and it was already pink. This car helped Elvis and his band, the Blue Moon Boys, travel to their shows. Sadly, on June 5, 1955, the car caught fire and was destroyed. This happened between Hope and Texarkana, Arkansas.
Just one month later, on July 5, 1955, Elvis bought a new Cadillac. It was a Fleetwood Series 60, blue with a black roof. Elvis had already sung about a Pink Cadillac in his song "Baby, Let's Play House". This song was his first to appear on a national music chart.
Elvis asked his neighbor, Art, to repaint the car. Art created a special pink color just for Elvis, which he called "Elvis Rose." The car kept its black roof. Once it was finished, Elvis gave the car to his mother, Gladys, as a gift. Mrs. Gladys Presley never had a driver's license, so Elvis drove the car himself. He used it with his band for most of 1955 and 1956.
On September 2, 1955, Scotty Moore, Elvis's guitarist, was driving the car. He had a small accident in Texarkana, Texas, causing about $1000 in damage. After Elvis signed a big music contract in November 1955, he had the car repaired. In March 1956, the car got new seats, its body was touched up, and the roof was painted white.
When Elvis returned from his military service in Germany in 1960, he bought a new car. He then lent his famous pink Cadillac to his Army friend, Diamond Joe Esposito.
The original Pink Cadillac is now a permanent display at Graceland. For many years, it was kept under a carport. Now, it is a main attraction in the auto museum. The car was even brought out to the front of Graceland in June 2006. This was for the visit of President George W. Bush and Prime Minister of Japan Junichiro Koizumi.
The Pink Cadillac in Popular Culture
At the time, the Ford Motor Company was the only car maker that offered pink as a standard color. After Elvis's car became famous, many people in the 1950s started painting their own cars different shades of pink.
Even though Elvis's original car was a 1955 four-door sedan, the pink Cadillac often seen in movies and songs is a 1959 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible. Many companies, like Franklin Mint, have sold miniature versions of this car.
Pink Cadillacs are also used by Mary Kay Cosmetics. They give pink Cadillacs to their top salespeople as a special award.
In the book series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Elvis Presley appears. He is shown driving a pink spaceship!
Elvis's Pink Cadillac also inspired the novel Pink Cadillac (2002) by Robert Dunn. In the story, Elvis makes a brief appearance. He gives the main character, Daisy Holliday, one of his pink Cadillacs as a gift.
The famous car was also featured in the CBS miniseries Elvis. The show included the scene where Elvis first bought the car for his mother.
Recreating the Pink Cadillac
In December 2006, historians at Graceland carefully studied Elvis's car. They took 125 detailed color photos of the entire car. This was so Bonnie and Stewart Krentzman could create an exact copy of Elvis's famous pink Cadillac. They used special color swatches to match the pink and white paint perfectly.
It was agreed with Graceland that this replica car would be used for a good cause. It is offered for free to "pink ribbon" breast cancer fundraising groups. This helps them raise money for breast cancer research and education. It's estimated that nearly 200,000 photos have been taken with this replica car at fundraising events. Sometimes, Diamond Joe Esposito, Elvis's former road manager, even appears with the Krentzman car.
The Krentzman car first appeared at a Susan G. Komen event in New York City in April 2007. Since then, it has been used by many breast cancer organizations across the United States.
Songs and Films About Pink Cadillacs
- Pink Cadillac, a 1979 album by John Prine
- "Pink Cadillac", a 1983 song by Bruce Springsteen. It was later covered by Southern Pacific and Natalie Cole.
- "Freeway of Love", a Grammy-winning 1985 song by Aretha Franklin
- Pink Cadillac, a 1989 film starring Clint Eastwood
