It sounds like a scene from a surreal dream: you’re sitting at a drive-in waiting for your burger when a jetliner, not parked at an airport, not in a museum, but driving by, rolls past. In Bentonville, Arkansas, that’s exactly what happened when a 1962 Lockheed JetStar once owned by Elvis Presley turned up in traffic, lumbering down a city street like something out of a pop-culture fever dream. Let’s learn more about it!
The History Behind Elvis Presley’s Jet
The Lockheed JetStar represents the early era of private business aviation. Built in 1962, it was sleek, powerful, and reserved for elites. Elvis Presley purchased the jet in 1976, adding it to his growing collection of personalized vehicles that matched his bold public persona. Unlike Elvis’ famous Convair 880, Lisa Marie, which is preserved at Graceland, this JetStar did not receive museum treatment. After Elvis sold it, the aircraft eventually ended up abandoned in the New Mexico desert, where it sat unused for nearly four decades. For most, that would have marked the end of the story.
Why This Jet Could Never Fly Again
Jimmy Webb briefly considered restoring the aircraft to flight after purchasing it at auction. That plan quickly collapsed under reality. Restoring a vintage jet to modern aviation standards costs millions of dollars, and even then, strict noise regulations would have prevented the JetStar from legally flying. The aircraft’s original Pratt & Whitney engines, while iconic, are far too loud for today’s airspace. Between missing parts, outdated systems, and regulatory barriers, flying again simply wasn’t an option. So the jet found a new mission.
From Private Jet to Road-Legal RV
Instead of returning the aircraft to the sky, Webb decided to put it on the road. The wings were removed, and the jet’s fuselage was mounted onto a custom motorhome chassis, effectively turning it into a street-legal RV. This conversion required extensive fabrication and engineering. Visibility challenges were solved using a surround-view camera system, while custom metalwork ensured the aircraft body could handle highway travel. The result is a vehicle that still looks unmistakably like a jet but operates entirely within road laws.
Spotted Driving Through Town
The jet recently drew national attention when it was spotted driving through Bentonville, Arkansas. Locals watched in disbelief as the massive fuselage rolled past restaurants, parking lots, and stoplights like it was perfectly normal. Witnesses reported seeing it stopped at traffic lights alongside everyday vehicles, including sedans and SUVs. A decal on the rear reading “All Shook Up,” complete with Elvis imagery, added a self-aware sense of humor to the surreal scene. It’s not every day that rock-and-roll history idles beside you in traffic.
Elvis, Excess, and the American Machine
Elvis Presley didn’t just own vehicles; he curated them as extensions of his identity. Cars, motorcycles, and jets were symbols of freedom, success, and American ambition. Seeing one of his former aircraft reborn rather than frozen in time feels fitting. This jet isn’t pretending to be what it once was. It’s something new, a creative reinvention that keeps history alive by letting it move forward.
A Moving Monument to Pop Culture
Elvis Presley’s old JetStar isn’t flying anymore, but it hasn’t stopped traveling. It’s carrying stories instead of passengers and curiosity instead of luggage, and it’s doing exactly what great cultural artifacts should do: making people stop, stare, and smile. In a world optimized for efficiency, a road-going jet owned by the King of Rock and Roll is gloriously unnecessary. And that’s exactly why it works.
Images: Courtesy of Ian Caple
