After Collecting Dust for 35 Years, Elvis' Plane Is Sold

A private jet once owned by Elvis Presley has been auctioned after sitting on a runway in Roswell, New Mexico, for 35 years. The plane sold for $430,000 on Saturday at a California event featuring celebrity memorabilia—a far cry from GWS Auctions' estimate of up to $3.5 million. The buyer was not disclosed in the sold note posted on the firm's website, and auctioneer Brigitte Kruse said she could not immediately release information about the buyer or the buyer's plans for the plane. The auction house says Elvis designed the interior, which has gold-tone woodwork, red velvet seats, and red shag carpet. But the red 1962 Lockheed Jetstar has no engine and needs a restoration of its cockpit. Photos of the plane show seats of the cockpit torn.

"We were contacted by a private seller who has a very large collection and he can't take everything with him, so he contacted us about holding an auction," GWS told the Tennessean of the unidentified seller. The AP notes there's some contention about whether Elvis truly designed the interior himself. Roy McKay once owned the plane and told KOB-TV he redid what was then a gray, "casket"-like interior, but GWS disputes McKay's claim and notes Federal Aviation Administration records show no interior changes were ever made to the jet. (More Elvis Presley stories.)