PHOTO VIA ORLANDO AUTO MUSEUM FACEBOOK PAGE
A piece of history has made its way back to the U.S.: Elvis Presley’s famed “Guitar Car” now resides in Orlando, newly acquired by Michael Dezer for display at the Orlando Auto Museum (Website) inside Dezerland Park (Website).
The pink, guitar-shaped Cadillac is built from a 1970 Cadillac Eldorado and was transformed by Hollywood customizer Jay Ohrberg. Its body stretches 41 feet in length and is shaped like a guitar with a long neck extension, faux “strings,” oversized tailfins, and musical motifs along the panels.
The Guitar Car has a colorful history. It once drove on the Las Vegas Strip under Elvis’s name, then vanished from public view before spending time abroad, including in a French junkyard, before being repurchased and shipped back to America. Because its engine is currently nonfunctional, the car had to be carefully moved into Dezerland via manpower, with fifteen people helping to position it backstage at the museum.
The car joins a massive collection of more than 2,500 rare and famous vehicles, collectively valued at over $200 million. The museum plans a full restoration, expected to take up to a year and cost more than $1 million, with guests able to observe parts of the restoration in real time. Once restored, the Guitar Car will headline a new exhibit honoring Jay Ohrberg’s bold custom vehicles, including others seen in films and television.
