Evita

I've always been rather interested in Evita.  I know, I know she was a despot and stole as much money from the Argentinian people as she could; but she was a very glamorous woman for all that.  Recently I went on an assignment to a large motor car museum.  As I was wandering around I found this wonderful car.

It is a 1939 Packard Super Eight Phaeton, which  was used by the Perons.  It was in fact the last car that the joint dictatoress was to ride in.

The cost of the vehicle was a staggering $10,000 when it was built and that represents about twenty years salary for the average American of the time and probably about 50 years for an Argentinian.

While I was looking at the car I couldn't resist taking one more photo.  It could be entitled: The Last Place the Peronista Posterior was to be Placed in the Packard Phaeton.


Eva's Seat for all Posterity



The shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis, used to tell the story that when he visited the Perons in Buena Aires, Evita tapped him up for a donation to one of her foundations.  Most of the money ended up in her bank account in Switzerland, of course.  But to sweeten the pot she suggested he stay overnight with her, and she would cook him breakfast in the morning.  Ari later recalled that the overnight didn't amount to much in his opinion, but as he got his checkboook out after the promised breakfast he realized: "They were the most expensive damned eggs I'd ever eaten!"