Elvis Shot His Pantera In A Heated Rage For Being A Hooptie (2024)
Elvis was a notorious hot head.
The De Tomaso Pantera is an Italian supercar with Ford engine. Frustrating many, this car was rushed to market, but was on the verge of greatness. Thanks to Ford rushing it to market, it was known as being a total lemon of a car. Elvis handled the car’s gremlins with fire power.
Alejandro De Tomaso born in Argentina, fled after he was implicated in a plot to overthrow the Argentinian government, settled in Northern Italy. De Tomaso raced and started his own car company. Execs at Ford liked the car and pushed the leadership to collaborate, and it only took a year to make the Pantera.
In its own price class, had power windows, and air conditioning. Very different for its time, it rolled on 4-wheel IRS and got stopping power from disc brakes. Since it was billed as a higher end car under the Ford umbrella, it was sold through Lincoln dealerships.
The Pantera was known for having an awkward steering wheel that blocks the gauges, pedals are shifted towards the center so it’s hard to shift. The car had a tendency to overheat and vapor lock. Mechanics hated them, they were plagued by recalls and electrical issues, but they still had and have a loyal fan base. Awkward steering wheel that blocks the gauges, pedals are shifted towards the center so it’s hard to shift. The car had a tendency to overheat and vapor lock. That might be because it was powered by a 351 Cleveland - rated 310 hp due to emissions standards - and had a uniquely tuned exhaust that gave it a very distinct growl.
Elvis bought one used for $2,500 ($13000) to impress his girlfriend Linda Thompson. His career was sliding at the time, and he gained a reputation of being a hot head, famously shooting his tv because he didn’t like who was on it.
He was known for playing with guns, like shooting floating lightbulbs in his swimming pool, and even brought a gun into the oval office. After an argument with his girlfriend, he went to leave and the car wouldn’t start, this set him off. Elvis shot the car twice, one bullet ricocheted off the steering wheel into the windshield.
The car was sold by Elvis in 1976, of course we all know Elvis died a year later in 1977, and in 1981, the Pantera was traded for $300,000 worth of diamonds. Shortly after, it was sold to Robert Petersen, owner of the Petersen Museum where the car lives today.
"I was thrilled to get the Pantera," said Petersen. "Elvis' tantrums are well known and to have a vehicle associated with one of them makes our collection that much more special"
After an argument with his girlfriend, he went to leave and the car wouldn't start, this set him off. Elvis shot the car twice, one bullet ricocheted off the steering wheel into the windshield.
Presley sold the car around 1976, and it went through a number of owners and sale transactions before being acquired by MotorTrend and Hot Rod founder Robert E. Petersen in the late 1990s.
This is the story of Elvis Presley's bullet-riddled 1971 De Tomaso Pantera. Picture this – we're in ever-optimistic 1970s America, and you have the budget equivalent of a small condominium to buy a car for your girlfriend.
Elvis was also a keen car guy, acquiring many tasteful run arounds, from a Mercedes 600 Grosser to a BMW 507. However, his 1971 yellow De Tomaso Pantera is probably most notorious car “The King” has owned, largely because of one incident between the Pantera and his Colt 45 Pistol.
The rights to Elvis' catalog is currently owned by Authentic Brands Group, whose portfolio includes celebrity brands such as Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali.
He regularly carried at least one gun, even when he was on stage, especially after the Manson family murders and receiving death threats when he started performing in Las Vegas in 1970.
How Many Cars Did Elvis Own? Elvis's car collection is reported to have expanded to over 200 automobiles in his lifetime. He favored Cadillacs but also had an extensive collection of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, some of which are on display at Graceland.
After signing his first record deal, Elvis purchased the 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 that he had custom-painted in pink for his beloved mother (who did not even have a driver's license). Today, the car is on display at the Automobile Museum at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.
Where did they get their name from? I've heard a lot of different stories about how they got their name, but I'm sure this one is correct. Pantera were originally called Pantego, which is a place in Texas. They thought that didn't sound like a good name, so they changed it to Pantera, which is Spanish for "Panther".
When he returned to Memphis, Elvis earned his first-degree black belt in 1960 under Chito-Ryu stylist Hank Slemansky. Later, he trained in a Memphis dojo under Master Kang Rhee, who bestowed upon him a seventh degree black belt in March of 1973 and his eighth in September of 1974.
The group were huge Elvis admirers and three members (Plant, Page and Bonham) gladly accepted along with their infamous manager, Peter Grant. Although not a big fan of hard rock, Elvis knew who Zeppelin were and was amused that his young step-brother, Ricky, was so excited to hear that they'd be in the audience.
EPE also produces and licenses Elvis-themed live events, tours and attractions worldwide. Graceland Holdings LLC, led by managing partner Joel Weinshanker, is the majority owner of EPE.
The Colonel became his manager on an unheard of 50-50 deal and total control of the young star. Parker pulled off the music deal of the century, using none of his own money, by packaging Elvis Presley to a larger company and using their resources to turn his protege into a worldwide superstar.
De Tomaso sold the rights to the Pantera to Ford, who were to distribute the cars in the United States through its Lincoln-Mercury dealerships, while Alejandro De Tomaso retained the rights to market the Pantera in Europe.
RCA Records owned all of Elvis' music recordings. The RCA Records Label was bought by BMG in the 1980s and in 2004 BMG merged with Sony Music Entertainment to become Sony BMG. Sony BMG owns Elvis' recordings and they continue to use the RCA Records label for issuing Elvis releases.
Introduction: My name is Corie Satterfield, I am a fancy, perfect, spotless, quaint, fantastic, funny, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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