Audrey Hepburn Washing a Car on the Set of“Sabrina” (1954)

Sabrina is a 1954 American romantic comedy-drama film produced and directed by Billy Wilder, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Samuel Taylor and Ernest Lehman, based on Taylor’s 1953 play Sabrina Fair. In the film, Audrey Hepburn plays Sabrina Fairchild, the chauffeur’s daughter who transforms from a shy girl into a sophisticated woman after a trip to Paris.

The car-washing scene, while not a central moment in the final film, has become a fan-favorite due to the rare candid glimpse it offers of Audrey in a casual, almost mischievous mood. Wearing practical clothes—often seen in rolled-up jeans or slacks and a tucked-in shirt—she’s shown with a sponge in hand, grinning or concentrating as she scrubs a car, usually a classic model from the era. These photos were likely staged for publicity or captured informally between takes.