The Orlando Automotive Museum will unveil a restored version of the pink guitar-style Cadillac once used by Elvis Presley on January 8, the rock star’s birthday.
The Desertland Park attraction will feature a 41-foot-long ride and plans to include an Elvis-related promotion for the next day.
The car, a 1970 Cadillac Eldorado modified to add strings and frets, was once driven by Elvis Presley during a concert in Las Vegas. The car was purchased earlier this year by Michael Deser, a South Florida developer, car collector, and owner of Deserland Park. The car was in France, where it spent a lot of time on junkyards and shopping mall rooftops.
It arrived in Orlando in September and is undergoing renovations to address rust spots and other damage.
“Few cars capture the spirit of American music and culture like this car,” Deser said in a news release last fall. “We are proud to bring this extraordinary piece of Elvis history back to the United States so fans can see it up close.”
The Automobile Museum will have a special price of $19.35 (a nod to Presley’s birth year, 1935) on January 8th and 9th. These tickets can be purchased online. And on January 10th and 11th, visitors who arrive dressed as Elvis will receive one free ticket to the museum and can purchase up to three more tickets for $19.35 each. Other Elvis-inspired activities are planned for later dates at Desertland in celebration of Rock ‘n’ Roll Weekend.
The museum features more than 2,500 vehicles worth more than $200 million. The vehicle is divided into 20 themed rooms and features models seen in classic movies and TV shows, a military section with tanks, and a Roaring ’20s area.
For more information, visit dezerlandpark.com and orlandoautomuseum.com.
dbevil@orlandosentinel.com
