If you are one of the most devoted fans of the King of Rock and you have a spare $15 million, you could buy his private planes the “Lisa Marie” and “Hound Dog II” as they are going up for auction, the Beverly Hills auction house Julien’s announced only a few days ago. However, don’t be too long: the bidding started Friday and the auction is slated to close in early February.
The two planes are being sold as one lot in a package deal and the buyer will have the option to purchase several acres adjacent to Graceland and open their own exhibit of the planes.
After the death of the King of Rock, both jets were sold by the family, but later they were bought and parked in Graceland, Tennessee and have been a popular attraction at the Memphis mansion for the last 30 years. Current owners’ identities were not disclosed; however their agreement with Graceland expires in April.
The “Lisa Marie” is a Convair 880 Jet bought from Delta Airlines on April 17, 1975 for the then-substantial sum of $250,000. Elvis Presley named the plane after his only daughter, Lisa Marie. He spent another $300,000 refitting it and they say the plane was refurbished in Texas by a team that had previously designed the President’s Air Force One aircraft. Presley took his first flight in the plane in November 1975 and he often called it “Flying Graceland” or “The Pride of Elvis Presley Airways.” The interior includes a master suite with queen-sized bed, conference room, a video system connected to four television screens and fifty speakers, a bathroom with gold taps. The plane’s tail was emblazoned with the King’s motto “TCB” (Take care of business). Its final flight was when it transported his wife, Priscilla Presley and their daughter Lisa Marie to Elvis’s funeral in 1977.
While the “Lisa Marie” was being refurbished, Presley bought his “Hound Dog II”, a smaller 10-seater Lockheed jet for about $900,000.
When you buy the iconic singer’s private jets, don’t expect to be able to fly like the King of Rock and Roll as both planes are not operational.
