Elvis Presley’s mobile home is up for auction

He may have sang about Heartbreak Hotel, but when it came to his own vacations Elvis Presley preferred to spend time in his 60-foot mobile home at his Circle G Ranch. The iconic rock ‘n’ roll star had about eight different motor homes parked on this 163-acre property near Graceland, his main residence. Now, you could own a slice of music royalty history as one of these motor homes is going on auction — as part of GWS Auctions: “Legends: Iconic Film & Music Memorabilia” sale, on August 25. “The mobile home, it’s just one of the coolest pieces we’ve ever had,” Brigitte Kruse, lead auctioneer and co-founder of GWS Auctions tells CNN Travel.

Rock and roll hideaway

“There’s a lot of history behind this particular mobile home,” says Kruse. Circle G Ranch was a getaway for Elvis, his wife Priscilla and his gang of close friends, nicknamed the Memphis Mafia. There were enough mobile homes to house them all when they wanted to escape from media attention. “They would all congregate there in their secret little hideaway […] It’s a neat idea for that time. So it just shows a lot of his personality — and he loved his fans, but he also needed to be a human being and have some privacy too,” says Kruse. Elvis purchased this particular motor home in 1967. After his death, the vehicle changed hands twice. “No one’s ever changed their registration because they always wanted it to be in Elvis’ name,” Kruse explains. The auction follows the sale of Elvis’ private jet in a major auction in June.

Compete restoration

Inside, the motor home has recently been carefully restored to look as it would in the 1960s. “It took about a year for them to do this and it was very meticulously done and they put a lot of love and care into it,” says Kruse. It’s a pretty simple interior, wood paneling and a small kitchen — but the Elvis touch can be seen in the quirky gold accents. “It was very important to them to keep it as much in original condition as they possibly could — keeping the paneling, the original kitchen, the restroom,” says Kruse. “Of course, it was finished with gold lead paint in the restroom, which is typical of Elvis fashion. He loved gold finishings.” The lucky buyer will get not just the motor home, but the original paperwork featuring Elvis’ signature. “It’s incredible to have a notarized signature of Elvis Presley,” says Kruse. “It’s really a very, very special thing and it is a museum-quality piece.” She thinks the motor home could be bought by someone who might want to create a traveling Elvis museum. As well as private bidders, there has been interest from museums and companies. “We also heard that they are, I guess, restoring Circle G Ranch,” adds Kruse. “So it will be interesting to see if those folks get interested in the bidding as well.” Unlike when Elvis’ various childhood homes have gone on the market, this motor home wouldn’t need to be deconstructed and put back together again, which could make it more appearing to overseas buyers. “It is sitting on an axle where it’s ready to be moved,” says Kruse. “It is literally a traveling attraction as it is.”

Pop culture history

There are some other exciting items up for bid in this pop culture-themed end of summer sale. “We put a lot of love and care into putting together this particular auction. It’s probably one that I’m most proud of at this point,” says Kruse.” “We have one of Michael Jackson’s gloves and we also have a pair of coveralls from the Titanic [movie].” There’s also a coveted prop from the production of “The Wizard of Oz.” “Things from that movie just don’t come up for auction very, very often — most of these pieces were destroyed or lost,” says Kruse. There are also other items on sale associated with Elvis — including two cars and a traveling replica of Graceland. If you fancy owning Elvis’ motor home, what are you waiting for? A little less conversation, a little more action — you can register your bid online now.