Elvis Presley’s 1962 Lockheed JetStar Heads to Auction

On what would have been Elvis Presley’s 88th birthday, one of the most intriguing relics of The King’s private life — a 1962 Lockheed 1329 JetStar executive jet once owned by Elvis — finally went up for auction after spending nearly four decades largely untouched. The plane’s journey from ultra-luxury status symbol to dilapidated desert artifact, and then on to new ownership, is a story with echoes of mid-century aviation history, celebrity culture, and the enduring mythos of Elvis himself.

A Jet Fit for the King

By the mid-1970s Elvis Presley had ascended from humble Mississippi origins to global superstardom — the undisputed “King of Rock and Roll.” With massive commercial success came a lifestyle to match: lavish homes, custom cars, and a private fleet of aircraft. Among them was the 1962 Lockheed JetStar, a sleek business jet that epitomized executive travel in the era well before corporate jets became commonplace.

The Lockheed JetStar was a distinctive aircraft. Designed and built by Lockheed — an American aerospace leader with roots in military and commercial aviation — the JetStar was one of the first purpose-built business jets. Introduced in the late 1950s, it featured four rear-mounted engines and a wide-body fuselage that offered surprising cabin space. At a time when private jets were rare and expensive, owning a JetStar was a clear mark of extraordinary wealth and status.

Elvis purchased the 1962 JetStar in December 1976 from OMNI Aircraft Sales Inc. for $840,000 — equivalent to several million dollars in today’s money — just months before his untimely passing in August 1977. In total he owned at least three private jets over his lifetime, including another JetStar and a much larger Convair 880 named Lisa Marie after his daughter. But this particular 1962-vintage plane, registered as an L-1329, was uniquely preserved in its original configuration.

Luxurious Interior: Velvet, Wood, and the Latest Tech

While many business jets of the early 1960s were spartan by modern standards, Elvis’s JetStar was anything but. When new, its interior was lavishly appointed: wood-grain paneling trimmed with gold accents, deep red velvet upholstery on swivel-reclining seats, plush carpet, and custom fixtures that resembled those of high-end living rooms rather than aircraft cabins. The amenities included a microwave oven, a beverage dispenser, a lavatory with a vanity, and an entertainment system complete with a television, VCR player, and cassette player — state-of-the-art in 1976.

The plane’s six individual passenger seats could both swivel and recline, and there was a matching bench that allowed total seating for about nine passengers — more than enough space for Elvis’s band, entourage, and crew while on the road. It’s easy to imagine the King and his TCB (Taking Care of Business) band slipping into these plush seats after a concert tour stop, ready to relax or plan the next leg of the journey.

From Desert Storage to Auction Block

After Elvis’s death, his personal assets were dispersed. Two of his jets — the Convair 880 Lisa Marie and one of the Lockheed JetStars — eventually found their way into the Graceland museum in Memphis, Tennessee, where they remain on display as part of Elvis’s enduring legacy. But the 1962 JetStar in question did not get such a high-profile preservation. Instead, it was stored at the Roswell International Air Center in New Mexico, where it sat largely untouched for decades.

By the early 2000s the jet — long parked, missing its engines, and exposed to the harsh desert environment — had become a static relic. Typically, aircraft that remain untouched for so many years deteriorate quickly: gaskets and seals crack, wiring corrodes, and upholstery dries out. This JetStar was no exception. While its cabin still boasted the original wood paneling and velvet seats, the mechanical and avionics systems were offline, and the aircraft was not airworthy.

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