No, I didn't sand it, neither did I use a primer, so perhaps the paint will peel in a few years time!
Sadly, I didn't take pictures of the disassembly process Riccardo. I used a fairly fast-drying spray paint, so smudging was not an issue. I did use masking tape to cover some areas, like the door handles and name panels on the rear lid, which was very fiddly, but worked well.