90 is not a bad innings at all but sad to hear that the greatest driver never to win the F1 championship has gone to that great park ferme in the sky to face the ultimate scrutineer. (insert your own motorsport reference here).
But no matter, he was a motorsport giant and was part of what is arguably the greatest motorsport feat of all time, certainly one of the most famous, at the wheel of the iconic 300SLR, no. 722 he covered the 1000 miles of the 1955 Mille Migle at an average speed of over 99 mph. Moss did many great things in motor racing but this stands out for me as his crowning acheivement.
So in a spirit of celebration rather than sadness I provide for you alla link to the articlepenned by his co-driver on that day, Denis Jenkinson. A genius peice of journalism that lives up to the driving performance itself.
I remember reading that article a few years ago (probably linked to by someone here on the SDMB, as I think about it) – well-written, and an amazing adventure. I also remember reading that, immediately after that long race, he hopped back into a car for a “quick drive” to take his girlfriend to Cologne.
You guys were the first to let me know this happened, and I had to sit back and think about it.
I love lots of racers, but like Jesus to a Christian, Stirling Moss was to Racing when I was young. You didn’t have to think about it. He was that thing that emanated racing. When I was a kid was pretty much the tallest of those who had raced back in that early day in age and lived so we could hear their thoughts, and learn how it had changed. As I got older I realized more about his history and why he was the person commentating on just about every road racing event I watched, and understood on a greater level on why I should listen to him.
He’s really one of the few paradigms of a person who I haven’t found out had feet of clay when I learned more about them. He was certainly human, but he almost always behaved in a way nicer and more sane than any person I had ever heard of being put in that position - racer or not.
So, GP championship or no, you really were probably the greatest, Mr. Moss. You got farther than many of those champions you raced against, by a long shot.
As soon as I saw your link, I knew exactly what story you were linking to. I read that Jenkinson article back when I was a gearhead teenager in the 1980s. They reprinted it in one of the motoring magazines that I spent all my spare money on, and it’s always stuck with me as one of the best pieces of motoring journalism I’ve ever read.
It is wonderfully vivid. My favourite is the bit where they take off at 170+ and have time enough in the air to exchange a look and an expletive, I can’t help but picture Ferris Buellers day off when the valet parkers steal the Ferrari.
