It was no coincidence that 1955 was the same year that the American auto industry and Rock'n Roll grabbed America's consciousness by the collar and shook it till she was dizzy about Miss Lizzy. It seemed that every brand had something new, whether it be horsepower or new designs or both. But Cadillac – the "Standard of the World" for quite some time – beat the rest of Detroit to the punch in 1954 with a healthy redesign and more power. For 1954, it was good to be the king.

And for 1955, it was even better to be The King. Indeed, Elvis Presley was just getting started, rocking Southern households around the clock (with apologies to Bill Haley). A rising star like Elvis surely would have a penchant for Cadillacs . . . and who could blame him? A mild facelift better integrated the parking lights to the outer edges of the grille. Humpback fins grew more prominent and, in the Eldorado's case, shark fins sprouted to take Atomic Age design to the next level.

Model range starting with the Series 62, which included the famed Coupe de Ville. The Eldorado convertible and Fleetwood 60 Special four-door sedan were both a glamorous move upward, although for different clientele. At the top of the totem pole were the Fleetwood Series 75 eight-passenger and Imperial sedans.

Base 331-cid V-8 put out 250 horsepower, with 270 with dual-four carburetors. The latter was standard for Eldorados and available for lesser models. With over 140,000 sold, 1955 was a record year for General Motors' luxury brand.

This black Series 75 Fleetwood eight-passenger sedan appears to be typical of the 1,075 built in 1955. However, this one was originally light blue, having been repainted black upon being purchased by Elvis Presley in January, 1956 to transport him and his band to gigs around the South. Rumor has it that his band toured with the luxury limo, strapping their instruments to the roof of the car!

The Caddy eventually was on display at the Elvis Presley Museum in the 1990s before being put on display at the Elvis-A-Rama Museum in Las Vegas. Currently owned by a prominent Texas collector, this piece of Memphis-by-way-of-Detroit history comes with the original conditional sales contract from Southern Motors of Memphis that was co-signed by Elvis' father, Vernon Presley. Also included is the original owner's manual with Elvis' signature on the back cover, plus one spare tire, lug wrench, and jack. The only thing that seems to be missing is a set of blue suede shoes.