The Elvis Hot Rod

Jon Haigwood · October 9, 2018

I ran across this while doing some research on the Kookie T. Thought I would post up some pictures and information for those that may be interested . This is one of the first (if not the first) to use a 32 frame with a Model A body.

From Car Kulture Deluxe

"The Elvis Car has an equally colorful past. Built by John Athan, the A-V8 earned its nickname after appearing in the 1957 Elvis Presley movie Loving You. Athan happened to live near an outfit – Pacific Auto Rental – that supplied cars as props for Hollywood movies, which led to the Elvis movie gig. Following its appearance in The King’s movie, the roadster served as a prop in a couple other big-screen features, and later a gas station documentary. Athan was rather nonchalant about his car’s notoriety, too, years ago telling me: “I didn’t know who Elvis Presley was [at the time].” Athan said that, following brief instructions on how to drive the roadster, Presley did all right behind the wheel. “He could get around in that car,” cited Athan.

The car itself is a thing of A-V8 wonder, sporting its 59AB engine in front of a ’39 Ford transmission that leads to a ’39 Mercury rear-end packed with 3.54:1 gears, all hung within the classic ’32 Ford frame rails. This was all cutting-edge technology when the car was completed in 1940. And shortly after the car rolled onto the street, Athan pointed it to El Mirage for the Road Rebels’ dry lake meet where the car posted a top speed of 108.5 MPH.

And if you’re wondering about the Elvis Car’s odd-shaped windshield, here’s the skinny: The glass originated as the rear window for a 1939 Chrysler. Athan liked its contour, so he popped the glass out of the sedan’s molding and then fabricated a frame of his own. Pure hot rod funk.

Speaking of funk, in later years the car sat idle in Athan’s garage where rodents, spiders, dust, and even rain wreaked havoc on its black lacquer paint and leather upholstery. Finally, in 1997, Athan commissioned his friend Tom Leonardo to restore the car. Leonardo, who happens to now own the Leham A-V8, took the car to bare metal before giving it the look you see today. The car later was part of the Smithsonian Museum’s “America on the Move” exhibit in Washington, D.C., before residing at the Petersen Automotive Museum for nearly two years prior to reporting back to the Smithsonian again, where it remains for the time being following John Athan’s passing last summer."