Elvis Presley’s private jet sold at auction

A private jet once owned by Elvis Presley has been sold at auction.
The late American music icon’s plane was sold for $430,000 (£335,000) on Saturday (27May17) at a sale held in Agoura Hills, California, according to GWS Auctions, Inc.
In the sale description, the auction house stated that the 1962 Lockheed Jetstar jet was owned by Elvis and his father Vernon Presley.
It was claimed that parts of the plane’s interior were custom designed to Elvis’ specifications, including the gold-tone hardware, woodwork, inlay, red velvet seats and red carpet. But the red plane has no engine and needs a restoration of its cockpit.
“The jet has been privately owned for over 35 years, and is the only airplane once belonging to Elvis that is still owned privately,” the auctioneers said in a statement. “The only other two in existence are owned by The Elvis Presley Museum.”
The jet has sat at an airport in Roswell, New Mexico for over 35 years, with the owner choosing not to have it restored.
The buyer was not disclosed in the sold note posted on GWS Auctions’ website, however, it seems that the jet was sold for well under its estimated price, with the company initially expecting bidding to hit between $2 million and $3.5 million (£1.5 million – £2.7 million).
The Jailhouse Rock singer was one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century, having won three Grammy Awards, and receiving the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36.
He died in 1977 at the age of 42 as the result of a heart attack, following many years of prescription drug abuse.