This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and TMN. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’s communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.
By Christopher Wynn
Dallas Morning News Writer
Annie Leibovitz famously photographed the singer with the car—a framed copy comes with the Benz.
At the height of her acclaim, American jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald did something extravagant after decades of singing success: She bought herself a car. A very special car.
In 1959, Fitzgerald custom-ordered a rare Mercedes-Benz 300D Cabriolet—one of only about 65 made. The long-wheelbase, four-door luxury touring convertible was more typically destined for statesmen parades, which explains the notches where flags could be mounted.
