There’s no engine, the cockpit’s a mess and the velvet seats have lost their plush.
Restoring this plane will require a heap of cash and a hunk of burning love.
But when there’s a chance to own Elvis Presley’s customized private jet, fans might be willing to overlook the rust that comes with sitting on a runway in New Mexico for 36 years.
The 1962 Lockheed JetStar 1329 was owned by the snake-hipped rock ‘n’ roll star and his father, Vernon. It last came to auction in 2017, reaching a price of $430,000.
However, its current owner has decided to return to sender – perhaps not prepared for the work needed to get this decrepit plane back into shape.
Online auction site IronPlanet is now accepting bids until July 27, 2018.
Interiors fit for the King
Last time the Lockheed Jetstar came to auction, GWS Auctions claimed that the once-luxury interior – all red-velvet seats, shagpile carpeting, wood paneling with gold-plated accents – was made to the specifications of the King himself.
However, Roy McKay, a previous owner, told KOB-TV in Albuquerque that he came up with the design, which was previously two-toned gray and “kind of looked like a casket.”
Carl Carter, spokesperson for GWS Auctions, told The Associated Press that Federal Aviation Administration records show no interior changes were ever made to the jet.
IronPlanet makes no such claims in its listing though, stating only that the sale includes “all FAA documents & invoices showing previous ownership by Elvis Presley.”
When contacted by CNN Travel, IronPlanet’s PR spokesperson said it didn’t have anything further to add on the mystery of who was behind the aircraft interior, nor does it have documentation related to when, where or if Elvis took to the air in the jet.
The Lockheed JetStar is one of 204 produced by aircraft manufacturer between 1957 and 1978 and is one of two that were owned by Elvis.
The other, named Hound Dog II, is in the care of the Graceland Estate – along with a Convair 880 named Lisa Marie.
Roswell’s second-strangest attraction
Elvis Presley died in August 1977 and his father passed away less than two years later, in June 1979.
During its 36 years on the tarmac at Roswell, the plane has become something of a local tourist attraction – if not the strangest one in town. This is the home of the International UFO Museum and Research Center, after all.
But after nearly four decades of lonesomeness, will Presley’s plane finally be restored before it crumbles into dust?
It could be now or never.