It’s not only the engine of Sophia Loren’s Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ that needs cooling down after a stage on the Rally del Cinema in 1956. The diva herself also looks ripe for refreshment after an exhausting few hours behind the wheel…
Chaos is sweeping across Italy as the country’s biggest stars contest the Rally del Cinema, organised by television mogul Ezio Radaelli. Onlookers line the route between Rome and San Remo, hoping to catch a glimpse of such famous actors as Rossano Brazzi, Isa Miranda, Sandro Pallavicini, Elena Giusti, Alberto Farnese and Pamela Matthews. Sophia Loren is also present – the Neopolitan diva is piloting a beautiful Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing’, but all is not well. It seems she’s overdone it on the previous stage, and the engine needs a timely rest. The short stop is the perfect opportunity for the paparazzi to capture Loren taking a well-earned break herself. Perhaps it was her sex appeal rather than her driving skill that caused the engine to overheat? We certainly know of a talented young British driving instructor with excellent knowledge of the local roads, having won the Mille Miglia just last year, who’d be more than happy to offer his services…
Photo by Carlo Bavagnoli/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images
