Evel Knievel bought the first car made by the Cadillac Truck and Station Wagon company that James Kribbs started, a great start for a small business

Above, the 1975/75 Cadillac truck made for Evel Knievel

Jesse,

My dad passed away last week.

While I was searching the obits, I decided to see if I could find anything concerning the Cadillac Truck and Station Wagon business he started in California in the 1970's.

Then I found your website 'Just A Car Guy'.

I didn't know any other companies made the conversions.
The photo I am attaching is from when the business first began in about 1976.

James Kribbs and Jack Patrick started to talk about this business while they were in Berverly Hill, Ca. Then Jack Patrick made 3 seperate drawings for the cars in one weekend.

The company began from that weekend.

Evil Knievel bought the first truck. Sometime later be bought another truck, that was the white Cadillac truck was used in the movie "Viva Knievel." Parade magazine called it the worst movie ever.

They also made station wagons from Cadillacs.

Thanks for your website and photos.

Here is a letter about the Cadillac place where the attached photo was taken.

Between the years 1968 and 1972 we lived in Memphis, Tennessee where my dad worked at a place called Madison Cadillac. During those years Madison Cadillac was rated one of the best ten dealerships in the country.

Elvis Presley did business at Madison Cadillac and there he also bought cars for other people.
There were times when Elvis would drive around Memphis and help someone who was poor.
To their surprise, Elvis would introduce himself and buy them a new Cadillac from Madison’s.
Elvis may have been flashy on the stage but my dad said whenever he came to the dealership, Elvis was a courteous and friendly man like other people.

Sometimes when Elvis left town, he gave others permission to drive around his property at Graceland.
My dad was one of the people he let on the property.
Dad drove us to Graceland one Sunday where we met Elvis’s father who was the guard at the gate.
My dad introduced us all and Elvis’s father opened the gate for us.

As we were driving around, my mother told us about Elvis’s mother. Elvis let his mother raise chickens on the grounds at Graceland. Elvis didn’t forget where he was raised and that’s why we think he was one of the finest persons my dad met.

The photo attached is of a Cadillac Isaac Hayes bought at Madison Cadillac. Isaac Hayes also helped people in Memphis after Martin Luther King was shot. One of things he did for Memphis was give free concerts for many who were upset. He did business with Madison Cadillac and on one of his cars, Isaac had all the chrome work on the car gold plated. Even the screws to this car were gold plated.
I remember my dad saying something about Isaac was when he was at the Memphis airport.
While my dad was standing outside waiting for a ride, some police cars appeared with lights flashing and their sirens on.
Then Isaac drove up in his gold plated Cadillac.
Isaac could be flashy when he was in public.

That’s about all I can remember about Memphis and the cars.

Thanks again for your thoughts and I hope you enjoy the photos with the letters.

Michael

Thank you for sharing and teaching us a bit about your dad, Isaac, and Elvis from your first hand experience with three remarkable guys Michael.