Elvis Presley is known for many things – the voice, the hips, the jumpsuit – but one of his less-discussed but equally documented habits was shooting. In fact, Singer’s habit of shooting guns at inanimate objects that frustrated him was such a common occurrence in his life that it was even parodied in The Simpsons. While televisions were a constant target for The King’s disappointment, in early 1969, a gold Cadillac Eldorado joined the list.
It caught his attention after Elvis purchased his gold Cadillac Eldorado in Memphis in December 1967. It was a gorgeous Topaz Gold Firemist convertible with a black vinyl top – perfect for the ostentatious Presley. Over the following year, this Eldorado became Elvis’ primary daily driver – which he and his wife Priscilla used regularly. The Eldorado was a historic car that still holds its place in Elvis’ collection, which included cars like his BMW 507 and Stutz Blackhawk – the last car Elvis drove before his death. Released in 1967, the Eldorado was Cadillac’s answer to the growing personal luxury car market, and topped that segment in price. It came with an unusual front-wheel-drive configuration for the time, but didn’t stray too far from industry norms with a 429-cubic-inch V8 with automatic transmission.
About thirteen months after purchasing it, Elvis one day had trouble starting the Eldorado. Although we will never know what caused his engine trouble that day, we do know for sure that he pulled out a handgun and fired one round through the right front fender. A 1960s American land yacht, the car absorbed the shot without complaint and remained completely drivable until the bullet hole remained.
What happened to Elvis’ gold Eldorado?
Luckily for Elvis, the ’68 Eldorado’s front fender is completely clear of anything mechanically significant. Shooting out the fender of his car provided some relief to Elvis, while producing no long-term results – in fact, it actually increased the value of the car. After the shooting incident, the car was given to Priscilla’s stepfather, who used it occasionally but mostly kept it in the garage. The convertible gold eventually reached an Australian businessman who saw promotional value in the provenance and displayed it as part of an Elvis Presley exhibit.
The bullet hole in the right front fender is still there – unrestored, probably because it’s the most interesting thing about any 1968 Eldorado in existence. Elvis’s Eldorado went up for sale in 2014 with full documentation including original registration. Whether that value is due to the Topaz Gold Firemist paint, the overall rarity of the car, or the bullet holes left by the King of Rock and Roll is left up to the new buyer’s interpretation.
