When’s a modified bicentennial Harley FLH worth more than an original? Documented ownership by the King’s probably a good start. Encapsulating a long love affair with Milwaukee iron, this 1976 Harley-Davidson bicentennial FLH was the last Harley Elvis Presley ever purchased, and is set to cross the block at Mecum’s Indy 2023 auction on May 20.
Influenced by everything from blues to bluegrass, and pioneering American rock and roll, Elvis Presley’s taste in vehicles was just as diverse as his music. While his collection would eventually contain everything from Triumphs and dune buggies, to BMWs and Ferraris, the King’s favorites were always Cadillac and Harley-Davidson. With his first tastes of success in 1955, Elvis cashed in on a Cadillac and his first Harley, the latter being a beginner-friendly 1956 HD ST 165 that he’d use to learn the ropes.
Elvis was hooked, and soon upgraded to a hot little ’57 KH model, which was a precursor to the Sportster. The KH fit the King’s growing rock-and-roll image, and he ordered it with a touring windscreen and buddy seat to bring any would-be female callers along for the ride. Elvis and his KH appeared on the cover of Harley-Davidson’s The Enthusiast magazine in May of 1956.
After the KH, the King moved up to big twins when he saw a new FLH Hydra Glide in a Memphis dealer’s showroom in 1956, and had to have it. With his growing success, brand new Electra Glides and Duo Glides followed, almost always decked out with a full assortment of accessories. Throughout the ’60s and early ’70s, his collection grew to include wild VW-powered trikes and customized choppers. In 1976 alone, Elvis ordered three Electra Glides, all of which were modified and finished with custom paint.
Mecum’s lot S228 is one of the King’s bicentennial ’76 Shovels, but more importantly, it’s the last Harley-Davidson he ever purchased. Significant for its place in HD heritage, the original bicentennial specification is just a drop in the bucket compared to the original California pink slip bearing the King’s name (albeit with his middle name misspelled). Purchased in August of 1976, the FLH’s tins were subsequently refinished in a blue and black color scheme with some wild airbrush work, before the bike was delivered to his Graceland, Memphis, estate.
With the King’s passing in August of 1977, the FLH was sold to a hotel owner in New Jersey ,and later displayed in a glass case at the Pioneer Auto Museum for over 30 years. Showing 1,261 miles on the odometer, and offered with its original keys and California pink slip, the FLH was sold by GWS Auctions in 2019 for $800,000.
What’s the bike worth now with Mecum’s massive following? It’s hard to say, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see seven-figure bids. Because what could be more rock and roll than the King’s personal bicentennial Shovelhead? [Mecum]
