The Haileybury Society is saddened to learn today of the death of Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss, OBE (L 43), who has died at the age of 90. He had been ill for some time; the BBC reports that his wife, Lady Moss said, “It was one lap too many, he just closed his eyes.“

The glory days of motor racing

A name synonymous with the glory days of single-seat, open-top Grand Prix car racing, Stirling was internationally renowned and was one of the greatest figures of his age, winning 212 of the 569 races he entered between 1948 and 1962; competing in different formulae, sometimes on the same day.

Drove the leading cars of his time

His preference was for British machinery which included Cooper, ERA, Lister, Lotus and even the famous Vanwall with its dohc Norton-derived motor, although he also enjoyed success with overseas manufacturers such as Porsche. He remained the English driver with the most F1 victories under his belt until this record was exceeded by Nigel Mansell in 1991.

As his career progressed, Stirling also drove sports cars from a much broader stable of manufacturers including Mercedes, Aston Martin, Maserati and Ferrari – as well as the Jaguar saloon car. His success in the 1955 Mille Miglia was the stuff of myth, driving at breakneck speed with his navigator Denis Jenkinson in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR to finish over half an hour ahead of the legendary Fangio, his nearest rival.

Who do you think you are, Stirling Moss?

Described as “the greatest driver never to win the World Championship“, Stirling Moss nonetheless finished championship runner-up four times, and came third on the other three occasions in the years spanning 1955 and 1961.

In Britain at least, his name became part of popular culture with the rhetorical question asked by a policeman of a speeding driver: “Who do you think you are, Stirling Moss?“. Apparently, he was once asked this question by a policeman himself!

Amongst his many honours were his induction into the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 1990 and his knighthood in the 2000 New Year’s Honours list.

Despite his age, Sir Stirling Moss remained idolised by the racing community and was rightly celebrated both at home and abroad. Today is a sad day indeed; a true British hero today lights up a brighter firmament.

Photos: courtesy of Wikipedia (in the public domain)