In memory of Chris Rea (obituary)
12/24/2025
Chris Rea is probably known to many people, because he certainly wrote the almost perfect music for drivers. He also recorded one of the better-known new Christmas songs ("Driving Home for Christmas"), which is frequently heard again these days.
Perhaps less well known is his film "La Passione", which he made almost 30 years ago. The film is about a ten-year-old boy who, as the son of an immigrant family, is fascinated by Wolfgang von Trips. Chris Rea had the Ferrari 156 (Sharknose) and the Ferrari 250 TR1 built especially for this film.
The movie with autobiographical elements was not a great success, but Rea said in an interview that the opportunity alone to sit in (his) Ferrari 156 was worth the effort of the movie.
In any case, Chris Rea was a car fan, driving a Lotus Elan 26R, a Lotus 6 and Lotus 7 as well as several Ferraris. He even worked as an F1 mechanic in the pits at Jordan in 1995.
Chris Rea died on December 22, 2025 at the age of 74 just before Christmas. However, his songs such as "Josephine" and "On the Beach" are likely to remain immortal.
