Disappearance of Sir Stirling Moss: 3 notable cars from his career

Lotus 18 

On board, Stirling Moss won three successes in F1 ; two in Monaco and one in Riverside (California). It is his exploit in the Principality in 1961 which remains in the memories, if only for his unprecedented decision taken a few hours before departure. 

In typical French Riviera heat, Stirling Moss, about to start in pole position, is sweating profusely. In these ancestral times, the technical regulations were much lighter and more permissive. Also, the Briton decides to remove the side body panels in order to benefit from a little fresh air! 

The period documents are exceptional, and allow us to see the position of the pilot in a cockpit of car. Despite the risk of receiving gravel in his body, Stirling Moss sails towards the top step of the podium, with a slim lead over the horde of Ferrari 156 with shark noses, more powerful (3''6 on Richie Gunther). 

“The big advantage of this Lotus 18 compared to the Ferraris was its maneuverability, remembered Stirling Moss at the 2016 Historic Monaco Grand Prix. However, it was quite difficult to fly. We were the outsiders against the monstrous Ferraris. »

Aston Martin DBR1

Stirling Moss was unlucky in the magnificent green car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In two appearances in 1958 and 1959, the “Uncrowned Champion” never saw the finish. Certainly, but with the car of more than 250 horsepower and only 800 kilos, the Englishman has reaped some great victories.

During this period, the Ferrari 250 GT and others Porsche 718 RSKs tour the world's greatest circuits as part of the FIA ​​World Sports Car Championship. In 1958, future three-time F1 champion Jack Brabham joined Stirling Moss to form a fiercely competitive duo. 

Together, they won the 1 Km of the Nürburgring (Germany) with a huge lead of 000'3'' over Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins, who were not newcomers. Bis repented the following year, in front of a crowd of nearly 44 spectators spread across the Nordschleife. 

This is a feat achieved by Stirling Moss. This time he is accompanied by Jack Fairman, an honest pilot with a regular but less flamboyant appearance. In the rain, a spin sent him more than a minute behind the leading Ferraris. 

When Jack Fairman leaves the wheel to his teammate, Stirling Moss launches into a crazy comeback. Five laps from the finish, he regained the advantage, and drove so fast that he beat the pole position of Jean Behra (Porsche) by five seconds! 

Winner again in front of his audience at Goodwood (Great Britain, this time with Carroll Shelby in addition to Jack Fairman), Stirling Moss allows Aston Martin to win the championship, ahead of Ferrari. This event was also celebrated by the Goodwood Revival 2019 through a historical reconstruction:

Mercedes W196

Even with a contemporary look, this Formula 1 has a stunning look. Imagine then the reaction of the public during his first appearance at the French Grand Prix in Reims in July 1954! 

The Mercedes W196 had for fast circuits (Reims, Monza, Silverstone), a bodywork wrapping the wheels, like sports cars in Endurance. The objective (successful) was to facilitate the flow of air around the wheels, these acting as an obstacle and therefore slowing down the air.

Under the front hood, Mercedes had worked on an 8-cylinder in-line engine with desmodromic valves, a solution unheard of in 1954. The power was around 260 horsepower. 

Stirling Moss will only win one Grand Prix at his wheel. It was near Liverpool, in Aintree (Great Britain), on July 16, 1955. While Jack Brabham was taking his first steps in the discipline, Stirling Moss was having a dream weekend. Pole position, best lap and victory! 

However, Stirling Moss did not have an easy time because a certain Juan Manuel Fangio had decided to launch a final offensive in the last lap. Ultimately, the gap was only two tenths between the two tenors. 

“The Grands Prix lasted three hours during my career, he remembered in 2015. . The man to beat in my opinion was (Juan Manuel) Fangio. He is the best F1 driver of all time. Plus, we were teammates. It was a fantastic race. The crowd cheered when I crossed the finish line. Everyone stood up in the stands. »