Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1504291
14 | WheelsOfGrace.com | #68 ELVIS ' LAST Harley-Davidson By Lance Oliver, By Gary Gastelu and Peter Kaye The question was: "Can Elvis' last Harley-Davidson set an auction record? Will it break a record set just a few months ago for the most expensive motorcycle sold at auction?" It may have depended on whether celebrity connections and rarity outweigh even greater rarity." It was for sale at the Mecum auction in Indianapolis. A 1976 Harley-Davidson FLH Bicentennial Edition that was the last motorcycle Elvis Presley bought before his death. It's the celebrity connection that gave this FLH the potential to sell for a record-setting sum, and there were a few goodies to sweeten the deal. Elvis purchased the 1976 Harley-Davidson FLH Bicentennial in California in August 1976, a year before his death and although it has changed hands a few times since his death, none of the owners titled the motorcycle in their own names, so the original title with Elvis' signature came with the motorcycle. The FLH was on display at the Pioneer Museum in Murdo, South Dakota, from 1983 to 2019, according to Mecum. The four-speed, 1,207 cc touring bike has 1,261 miles on the odometer. In addition to the celebrity connection, the FLH does have rarity on its side, too. Only 750 Bicentennial Editions were built and has a custom paint job that was ordered by The King. Presley had it shipped to Graceland and kept it there until selling it to an area Harley-Davidson dealer. It was later purchased by a hotel owner in Wildwood, New Jersey, who kept it on display in the lobby for several years, then resold several times before ending up in the Pioneer Museum in Murdo, South Dakota, It was part of the collection until 2019, when it was auctioned for $800,000! In January at the Mecum auction in Las Vegas, an original 1908 Harley- Davidson "Strap Tank" sold for $935,000, after all fees were added. That made it, according to the list kept by The Vintagent, the most expensive motorcycle sold at auction. Other motorcycles have reportedly changed hands for more than $1 million, but since those were private sales, not public auctions, details aren't confirmed. The 1908 Harley-Davidson sold for such a high price largely due to its rarity. The first Harley- Davidson model built, only a handful are believed to exist with the original paint. But Elvis' last motorcycle did not do it. Bidding ran out of gas when it came up for auction on Saturday, May 20th. The bidding topped out at $300,000, which was below the reserve set by the consignor, so a sale was not made. That also happens to be nearly the same price that was paid for another singer's vehicle at the event. It is not known if or when the owner of Presley's Harley-Davidson will try to reach the top of the sales charts again. A 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS convertible that was owned by Bruce Springsteen from 1981 to 1987 went for $302,500, which is about three times what a similar car is worth without the celebrity connection.