VIN: the Sophia Loren Mercedes-Benz W198 300 SL Gullwing chassis 198.040.5500789
History of chassis 198.040.5500789
300 SL Gullwing chassis 198.040.5500789 left the factory painted Silver Grey with a blue leather interior.
On October 15th 1955 it was issued with a certificate of origin by the Italian authorities.
Five days later (October 20th), the Mercedes was registered on licence plate ‘237421 Roma’.
The purchaser was Artisti Tecnici Associati (ATA) a film production company located at 58 Via della Vasca Navale.
ATA was owned by the Italian film producer, Carlo Ponti. Ponti had established ATA in 1950 after leaving Riccardo Gualino’s Lux Film where he had worked as a director since 1941.
While serving as a judge in a beauty contest in 1951, Ponti met a minor actress named Sofia Lazzaro (real name Sofia Villani Scicolone). Ponti began an affair with Lazzaro soon after they met and subsequently cast her in films such as 1951’s Anna.
In 1952, Lazzaro changed her name to Sophia Loren.
The next year, Sophia Loren had her first starring role (in Aida) for which she received critical acclaim.
In 1956 she signed a multi-film contract with Paramount Pictures.
On 13th April 1956, Ponti entered Sophia Loren to drive the Gullwing in the third Rallye del Cinema. She had already starred with the Gullwing in a couple of photo shoots; from press coverage, it seems the car was at her disposal.
The Rome to Sanremo Rallye del Cinema was a jolly for stars of screen and stage. It attracted massive public interest and lots of media coverage. In Fucecchio, the over enthusiastic fans managed to shatter Loren’s windscreen. Later she went off the road to avoid a child.
Where Sofia Loren finished in the results in unclear.
ATA retained chassis ‘789’ for little over a year.
On December 13th 1956, ownership was transferred to Rolando Troera, also of Rome.
The car subsequently went though the hands of a couple more Italian owners before heading out to the USA and later Sweden.
Sophia Loren and Carlo Ponti got married in Mexico in September 1957. However, in 1962 the marriage was annulled so Ponti could avoid bigamy charges (he had never legally separated from his first wife).
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Mercedes-Benz - https://www.mercedes-benz.com
