Remembering the King and His Cadillac at the National Automobile Museum

Reno, NV, December 27, 2016 (Newswire.com) - ​Born Elvis Aaron Presley on January 8, 1935 the “King” would have been 81 years old this year.  Presley is regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20^th century. The 1973 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe originally owned by the legendary American singer and actor now resides in the National Automobile Museum located in Reno, Nevada. Visitors can take a step back in history with this and other star-studded favorites during their next visit to one of the top Automobile Museums in the country.

This spectacular Cadillac Custom Eldorado was a birthday gift to Elvis Presley from his father, Vernon Presley. Elvis drove the Cadillac as his personal car for several months until he gave it to his local Karate instructor, Kang Rhee of Memphis, Tennessee, who instructed Elvis up to a 7th degree black belt.  When Presley acquired the car, he received the full option package as well as a custom hood and radiator cap. The white exterior, white interior auto weighs 4,897 pounds and has a V-8 cylinder OHV engine with 235 horsepower.

Onlookers can discover this and so many other history-making vehicles as they stroll through our displays.

Jackie Frady, president and executive director

The front-wheel drive Cadillac Eldorado was first introduced in 1967 and received substantial exterior styling changes for 1973.  The Eldorado Coupe sported a bold, new “egg crate” grille attached to the front bumper.  When the bumper was struck at low speeds, the entire grille retracted inward several inches, preventing damage to the grille and front-end sheet metal.  The hood, trunk lid and bumpers were redesigned, and the parking and turn signal lights wrapped around the leading edges of the front fenders.  Sales of the Eldorado Coupe numbered 42,136 for 1973.

“Onlookers can discover this and so many other history-making vehicles as they stroll through our displays,” said Jackie Frady, president and executive director.

For more information about the National Automobile Museum, named one of America’s Five Greatest Automobile Museums, visit automuseum.org.

About The National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection)

One of “America’s Five Greatest Automobile Museums,” the National Automobile Museum showcases more than 200 remarkable automobiles. It features theatre presentations and audio tours in English and Spanish through 100,000 square-feet of galleries, exhibits and vibrant street scenes and accompanying artifacts that bring displays to life. The museum is a dynamic and popular venue for special events as intimate as 60 and as large as 1,200 guests. For more information, visit www.automuseum.org.

Hours of Operation

Mon. - Sat.:  9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Sun.: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  

Tickets

Adults                     $10
Seniors                   $8 (62 and older)
Junior                      $4 (6 to 18 years old)
Children                 Free (5 and younger)
Members               Free

Source: National Automobile Museum