Celebrity Caddys
Classic American contributor Zack Stiling has his beady eyes on auctions, sale listings, eBay… you name it, he’s on the lookout for interesting American vehicles up for sale or auction. Spotted on Car and Classic’s auction site was this Elvisowned 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, which is located in Sweden with the current owner/ vendor. It would almost definitely be something that would appeal to an Elvis fan more than a car fan, as the vehicle is not only a bit of a taste crime – hailing as it does from Cadillac’s very own ‘Elvis-inVegas’ era – but also has a rather tired interior. Along with its green crushed velour interior and cracked interior door panels, and interior trim, it also sports a monstrous ‘Shorty-the-Pimp’ style Rolls-Royce-esque grille with goddess ornament.
Ordered new from Madison Cadillac for $12,512, the car was owned by Elvis for only one year, before he gave it to his doctor, who owned it for a further decade. It boasts a smog-era 500cu in V8 and most importantly, comes with all the correct paperwork to guarantee its Elvis provenance.
What would perhaps almost certainly be banger fodder in terms of condition is elevated to fivefigure value (possibly more) by this star-studded provenance.
An altogether different proposition, not only in terms of celebrity ownership and condition, is this comparatively slim, svelte 1981 Cadillac Fleetwood, formerly owned by John Lennon’s ex-wife Cynthia Lennon when she lived on the Isle of Man. It looks to be in much better condition than the Elvis Fleetwood.
Also included is an original period-correct plug-in diagnostic tool for the Caddy, General Motors being at the vanguard of electronic engine management systems and diagnostics. The leopard print steering wheel and rear-view mirror cover (?!) could do with binning, but it boasts a nice clean interior with a new headlining. Another contrast between the two Caddys is the ’81’s engine which is the 252cu in/4.1-litre V6 motor which was sourced from Buick. It’s not perfect, but looks not far off.