I guess it's just me. I never saw the fascination with what looked like a cheap pimp ride. The Caddy in "Live and Let Die" had more appeal than those.
Posted on 02/14/2015 11:17:51 AM PST by lowbridge
Three-time NASCAR championship winning crew chief Ray Evernham recently visited Graceland to shoot a segment for hisVelocity show AmeriCarna about the last car Elvis drove before he died, a 1973 Stutz Blackhawk III.
While he was there, the Graceland folks told him the vehicle he really wanted to see was tucked away in a warehouse out back. There, under a sheet, was a rusty old 1948 Chevrolet Panel Van that they say Elvis used to use to sneak out of Graceland when he wanted to avoid his fans and the press.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
This panel truck is mentioned by one of his Humes High classmates, Rose Howell Klimek:
He (Elvis) was in the study hall where I called the roll. As soon as I called his name he would get up and leave. Then I would go downstairs to cashier in the lunch room. He was usually my first customer and always bought the same thing - two ice cream sandwiches.
One night he showed up at a school event wearing black clothes and pink socks. Miss Richmond didn't recognize him and asked me who that rogue was. Later she liked to brag that she always knew that Elvis would make it big.
After he became famous, he would ride around Memphis incognito in a panel truck. Sometimes he drove through my neighborhood and would stop and chat if he saw me walking down the street.
Cool ... and even Elvis needed to get away from it from time to time!
It was a converted Pontiac Gran Prix “Pimpmobile”
Hideous.
Never knew what the base car was. But that makes sense.
Even the pimps didn’t want it : )
lol
I learned how to drive in a1947 Chevy panel van (also known as a “sedan delivery”). Built like a tank, floorboard starter pedal and 16 inch wheels/tires.
Panel trucks and sedan deliveries are totally different vehicles - I’ve owned a few of each over the years.
1934 Stutz Bearcat
That may be so, I don’t know. However, in searching for a plastic model of the truck, I used “panel truck”, and “delivery van” as search words, with no results. I then used “1947 chevrolet”, and poof...the exact model of mine came up as “sedan delivery”, and the box it came in called that, too.
I’m guessing the larger, and larger version was the “delivery van” model.
I’m about halfway finished with the model, if I could only find my air brush...I know it’s here, somewhere.
The main difference being a panel truck is mounted on a pickup chassis, and a sedan delivery on a car chassis. You would never have a 4 speed stick with granny low in a sedan delivery, just a column mounted shifter or possibly an early automatic transmission. I’m an old truck nut.
Not to me.
That car screams Americana from front to back. It's got ten times the style and elegance of cars produced today, which all look like indistinct blobs of crap.
Reminds me of better times when this country was still about something.
.
It was an Eldorado (front wheel drive) not a Pancho!
.
They still love Elvis.
Today's cars are all about mpg and lowering the coefficient of drag. Thus they all look like contoured blobs of crap. However, they are well engineered and good cars.
But, GIVE ME A 1966 MUSTANG and the hell with the miles per gallon.
My first car was a 1967 Mustang fastback - 289 - with fold down rear seat. I was a senior in HS and the girls loved it...and I loved the girls.
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