If there’s one thing the King loved more than music, it was his bling! The king of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley had an impressive collection of luxurious items to his name, including jewellery and automobiles. Now, a chunk of these possessions are heading to an auction hosted by GWS Auctions, from August 27 onwards.
Photo Courtesy: Britannica
Titled the “Lost Jewelry Collection of Elvis Presley and Colonel Tom Parker,” the auction includes a total of 193 items such as gold rings, watches, chains, framed photos, song pages and clothing, among other personal items. Some of the more adored selections also include Presley’s personal Jetstar jet, his 1976 Harley Davidson, and a 1973 Lincoln Continental.
Photo Courtesy: GWS Auctions
Elvis Presley’s precious Harley Davidson is one of the most exciting items to go on auction. A 1976 Harley Davidson FLH 1200 Electra Glide, this was Presley’s last motorcycle according to his former wife Priscilla Presley. Priscilla mentioned that the King would often give away his ‘toys’ and that the Harley was eventually sold to a local Harley Davison dealership. From there, the Harley went through many hands before being housed in a glass case at the Murdo, SD Pioneer Auto Museum. The starting bid for the motorcycle is kept at USD 100,000.
Photo Courtesy: GWS Auctions
Another last buy for the king was his 1973 Lincoln Continental; this uber fancy limousine was among Presley’s prized possessions. The singer reportedly bought the car after seeing it in a movie, and liked it so much that he would often drive it himself. He later gifted it to a friend, Stamps Quartet member JD Summer, who sold it to collector Mike L. Moon in the early 1980’s. After Moon’s passing, the vehicle was exhibited and displayed as part of the Mike Moon collection for years. Today, the car remains unchanged with the name “ELVIS” on the number plate, just as it was when purchased. The bid for the vehicle starts at USD 60,000.
Photo Courtesy: GWS Auctions
The 1962 Lockheed Jetstar Jet is another celebrated possession and was one of the three private jets owned by Elvis Presley. However, this one is extra special for multiple reasons, one of them being that it was the only jet that Elvis co-owned with his father Vernon Presley. It is also the only jet owned by Elvis, that is still owned privately. The bid for this jet starts at USD 100,000.
Photo Courtesy: GWS Auctions
Aside from the three impressive rides, the auction has quite a fascinating collection of jewellery, including pieces like watches, cuff links, chains and pendants and rings. An outlier among the jewellery pieces is an 18-karat yellow gold ring which was worn by Presley quite often. The ring was carved with the initials “TCB” which stands for “taking care of business”, a phrase used by him quite often. The solid gold ring is encrusted with diamonds along with the TCB initials and a large cubic zirconia (replacing the original brilliant round cut diamond) above the initials.
Photo Courtesy: GWS Auctions
Many of the pieces present at the auction were provided by Priscilla Presley, who fully supports the auction. “Well, it brings back memories for sure”, she said in a statement. “There is so much product out there that is not authentic at all and that worries me. I want to know for sure that that is going to go to someone who is going to care for it, love it.”
Take a look at some of the auctioned pieces below.
