Maria Callas and her taste in cars

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Let’s stand still by the great late soprano Maria Callas, who passed away exactly 40 years ago this very weekend. Born in New York City in 1923 to Greek immigrants, she became the star of opera houses around the world before she even was 30. Her talents did the 19th-century bel canto works that had not been performed for decades revive. She also had a stormy personal life, closely watched and exaggerated by the press. Especially after she divorced her husband for the Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis. Even more when he left her again for the widowed Jackie Kennedy.

She must have been a car girl, too. The two Mercedes Benz 600 Pullmans, bought by her in 1967 to be used to transport her from opera to opera during her European tours, were sold a couple of years ago. But her love for Monaco was reflected in her taste of cars, too. She reputedly owned a Michelotti designed Fiat Shellette (although proof appears to be thin – we couldn’t find any photograph), which has to be one of the ultimate Riviera cruisers. But it was not the only ‘Jolly’ Fiat she was seen in. We came across pictures of her and Onassis and another fantastic Fiat-based beach car. Clearly Multipla based and probably by Carrozzeria Fissore, but feel free to learn us more about the exact type. Oh, there was this one, too. Said to be a Fiat 600 Spiaggina by Savio-Boano and seen here with Onassis driving, Callas in the back and Winston Churchill no less in the passenger seat. Speaking of celebrity use...

(Words editor, picture Pinterest)

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