Golfing with Elvis: The King’s Harley Golf Cart Hits Auction Block
Elvis Presley never swung a club, but he made use of his Harley cart on the grounds of Graceland from 1967 to his passing.
Elvis loved his Harleys. One of his last — which he bought a year before his death in August 1977 — was an FLH 1200 Electra Glide; he also bought a Sportster 1000 for his friend the same day. His first was a 1956 KH, which he bought with money earned from his then-burgeoning music career.
Between the mid-Fifties and the late Seventies, a Harley or two has always been a part of “The King’s” life. Including a golf cart. Mobile, Alabama CBS affiliate WKRG-TV reports the special cart will be one of several items up for auction January 8 at Graceland, on what would have been Elvis’ 85th birthday.
Per the auction listing from Graceland Auctions, Elvis bought his Harley golf cart in May of 1967 at his local Harley dealership, two weeks after marrying Priscilla Wagner. The MoCo had been building golf carts since 1963, beginning with three-wheel models like his before adding four-wheel carts to the lineup prior to AMF’s purchase of the company in 1969.
Elvis didn’t buy the cart for a round of 18, though. The auction house says the rock icon “appreciated and was active in several sports like football, horse riding, racquetball and karate.” Golf, on the other hand, wasn’t his jam at all. Instead, the cart was used to traverse the 14 acres of land upon which Graceland rests; the staff follows in his footsteps to this day, though the MoCo hasn’t made carts since 1982.
Under the seats of the cart, Elvis felt the rumble of the Harley two-cycle, single-cylinder motor everywhere he drove in Graceland. He guided the cart with a single chrome bar, with one headlight to light the way.
The Harley golf cart is missing the bag rack attachment, but has a special “Elvis 1” license plate, plus all of the receipts and documentation to confirm Elvis indeed bought, owned, and piloted this interesting piece of both his and the MoCo’s histories. The cart will go for a minimum bid of $30,000, according to WKRG-TV, with Graceland Auctions expecting twice that at the end of the bidding.
The cart is also the only lot in the 288-lot auction catalog which can be ridden or driven. However, if you have your own Harley, you can place your bid on a chance to park it in front of Graceland’s front door for a photo op. If only “The King” could see how far Harley has come now.
Photos: Graceland Auctions
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