Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. announced that a John Deere tractor often used by Elvis on his ranch and at Graceland has been fully restored and will be placed on public display, beginning May 8th, 2009, at the Elvis Presley Auto Museum – located at the national historic landmark Elvis Presley’s Graceland.
The restoration has been a cooperative effort between Elvis Presley Enterprises and John Deere – an initiative that also includes future sales of die-cast replicas of Elvis’ tractor. Students at Northwest Mississippi Community College restored the tractor with guidance from John Deere.
Elvis acquired his John Deere 4010 tractor with the purchase of a Mississippi ranch in 1966. Having grown up around farming in Tupelo, Elvis knew he needed the best equipment possible to care for the land he had just purchased. Family members and close friends of Elvis tell stories about the enjoyment the famous entertainer had while working with his tractor.
After Elvis sold the ranch, the tractor moved to Graceland and was used to maintain the beautiful landscaping on the property for decades. Graceland visitors from around the world had come to know and look for Elvis’ old tractor when visiting the historical landmark. Graceland replaced the John Deere with a new model recently and decided to prepare the old tractor, which had served for nearly 50 years, for display in the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.