Car-buffs alert: What Leonard Bernstein kept in his garage

Aaron Trager wrote to the Leonard Bernstein Office, asking what vehicles the Marestro drove.

Here’s the courteous and detailed reply:

Hi Aaron,

Here’s a somewhat odd list of what the Bernstein’s remember their father having:

Since Ford/Lincoln was a sponsor of the Young People’s Concerts (broadcast 1958-1972), they lent him a new Lincoln Continental convertible every year.

1960s Maserati (Purchased in Italy while on vacation).

1967 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage Volante (Purchased for his use to drive in London while there working with the London Symphony Orchestra).

There was, for one minute in approximately 1969, a canary yellow Cadillac convertible.

The New York Philharmonic gave him a a blue convertible Oldsmobile Cutlass (1971-ish) when he retired.

A 1973-ish red Fiat 124 Sport.

There was a green Mercedes sedan for a while in the late 1970s (maybe leased?)

In the 1980s, he had a taupe Mercedes convertible sedan (probably late-1960s model) with the MAESTRO1 license plates.

A (boring) white Dodge convertible for a moment.

His last car was a SAAB Turbo convertible in the eighties.

Hope this is informative!

Best,

The Leonard Bernstein Office

Photo courtesy of Robert D. Farber University Archives and Special Collections Department, Brandeis,