The King's Ride Rolls at SEMA
By noderel:
Amazingly, 40 years have passed since Elvis Presley died. Elvis was called the "King of Rock-and-Roll" and he really set the music world on fire in the middle 1950s with songs like "You Ain't Nothin' But A Hound Dog," "Love Me Tender" and "Don't You Step on my Blue Suede Shoes".
From his humble backwoods Tennessee beginning, Presley rose to become an internationally acclaimed super star through his songs, motion pictures and live performances. As he found fortune and fame, he became quite a car enthusiast, driving flashy machines himself and often purchasing Cadillacs and other cars, on a whim, for some of his fans.
Today the cars once owned by Elvis Presley are valuable collectibes. Many of them are in museums where the public can see them and enjoy them. One "Elvis Presley car" seen at the SEMA Show this year, was not among those that he had once owned. Instead, it was a custom-built tribute car designed to honor his memory.
Based on the iconic 1959 Cadillac with its drawer pull grille and towering tailfins, this one-of-a-kind creation featured a T-top roof treatment never seen on a stock '59 Cadoo. Its awesome white paint job was set off by a color-coordinated leather interior, a white padded dashboard and clear bullet-style Caddy taillights.
The car was called Elvis III and a long list of companies helped get the amazing Cadillac built. A show car accompanying the vehicle credited those companies and friends that contributed to the project. It read, in part:
"Elvis III was made with the help of friends and companies that truly believed in us and gave us their support. For all of this we want to give special thanks to: PPG finish for paints, color research and technical support. Coker Tire for tires and rims. Kara Tannery for special custom made leather. AD Kustom Furnitures for wood detail forming and the fine Mother of Pearl inlay. Elabatorio for fiberglass shaping. Steve's Garage for mechanicals, engine tuning and technical support."
Other credits for the car went to A & A Auto for finding spare parts, Cantone Spare Parts as a spare parts dealer, Neuro Moto for PR work, Curvet for making the windshield, Rovida Davide for a custom exhaust system, Team Service Car for sandblasting and spray booth use, the Idea Factory for #-D printing and detail creations, Remark for artistic glass blowing (the taillights we presume), Lanzoni Interiors for the upholstery work, and Brazzi for the metal work.
The car was long, low, wide, and flashy. We're sure that Elvis, with his own flashy personality, would have been happy to see the car at SEMA. In fact, with so many Elvis impersonators running around Las Vegas, who knows if one of them didn't come to the show just to get vibes from a car that the real King would have loved?