As luck would have it, during Monterey Car Week in August, we met Bill Heinecke, one of the biggest car collectors, who regularly exhibits his vehicles at Pebble Beach. He had invited us to view part of his collection in a hangar in Monterey. We were chatting about this and that, when he suddenly mentioned that his hotel in Rome was planning a celebration in September for Sophia Loren’s 90th birthday.
We thought, what a great opportunity to present her with her Gullwing, the car her husband Carlo Ponti had given her for her birthday. It was the same car she drove during the Rally del Cinema from Rome to San Remo, the event that produced all those iconic pictures of her and her Gullwing that we know so well. “Great idea,” said Bill Heinecke, “let’s do it.” And since we also had Fellini’s car with us at the time, as he was very close to her and directed many of her films, we decided to bring his car along too.
Said and done, the big celebration was scheduled for September 20, with a presentation at the cinema followed by a dinner on the rooftop of the Anantara Hotel in Rome. We were all invited (the car owners). At the cinema, Sophia Loren’s lifetime achievements were emotionally honored. Her sons and grandchildren gave speeches, showing that Sophia Loren was not only a great actress but also a loving mother and respected family matriarch.
On the way from the cinema to the evening event, we presented her with the two vehicles, which was visibly an emotional moment for her — a step back in time. At the request of Daniel Iseli, the current owner of her car, Sophia Loren signed the hood, as did Al Bano, who was accompanying us and is good friends with both Sophia Loren and Daniel Iseli.
She also shook hands with Hans Kleissl, who was introduced to her as the restorer of the car. The subsequent dinner was attended by many prominent figures from film and politics.
