1955 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 60 Special                             Home

(Above left) Behind the wheel during the last few days of August 1955.

(Above middle) Elvis with Wanda Jackson on tour in July 1955.

(Above right) Polishing his new Cadillac, same date as above left.

After Elvis´ first Cadillac had burned up on the road between Hope and Texarkana in early June 1955 he used a 1953 Ford Crown Victoria for about a month while on tour. During a short vacation at home in Memphis in early July 1955 he bought this 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 60 Special. He had the body painted pink and kept the black roof as these were his favourite colours during this period. Around March-May 1956 Elvis had the roof painted white. Today the Cadillac is on exhibition at Graceland.

On September 2, 1955 Elvis, Scotty and Bill were on their way from New Orleans to Texarkana with Scotty at the wheel. While overtaking a truck that suddenly turned left and forced Scotty to head for the ditch a $1.000 damage was caused to Elvis´ Cadillac. Live colour footage from July 1956 of the Cadillac is seen on the DVD “Elvis and June.”  The Cadillac was used on Elvis´ August/September 1957 tour.

License plate for July 1955 thru March 1956 was 2D 28319. For April 1956 thru March 1957 it was 2D 33502. The first number (2) in the plate meant that it was registered in the second most populated county in Tennessee, namely Shelby County. The D in the plate meant a “Heavy” car, such as a Cadillac. The plates were changed once a year with new identification numbers and colour of plate. In Tennessee the plates expired on March 31 and new were sent out prior to April 1 every year. (Thanks goes to Jeff Minard for sharing his knowledge about 1950´s license plates)

The 1955 Cadillac (behind Vernon and Gladys in left photo) is easily identified when seen from behind with 3 vertical chevrons on each side of the license plate, below trunk lid.

(better seen in photo below, not Elvis´ Cadillac)

(Above) Vernon and Gladys leaning against Elvis’ famous pink and white Cadillac.

On the ´55 model the chromed rub-rail moldings on the sides of the body were extended to melt together with the vertical trim on the rear doors.

The rectangular parking lights were placed below the headlights.

12 vertical louvers were set at the rear lower side of the back fenders.

New gull-wing front bumper with smooth, shell-shaped protrusions and a larger egg-crate grille motif

(Above) The pink and white Cadillac parked behind Graceland.