He worked with almost equal diligence at the job of presenting himself to the world via the mass media. On the track, the famous wave was one means of establishing contact with the public. Throughout his life he would show no reluctance to talk to reporters, always ready with a pithy and sometimes pungent opinion, always happy to give a gossip columnist a denial of the latest rumour of an engagement to one of the pretty young actresses and models with whom he was constantly photographed. For a celebrity, he was unusually accessible. His home number was in the phone book; if you called, it would often be Moss himself, rather than his PA, who picked it up. He was happy to invite magazine journalists and TV crews into his Mayfair home, which he’d designed himself and filled with all kinds of automated devices. He road-tested cars for national newspapers and for glossy magazines. He was also much in demand for advertising campaigns: a generation of account executives had realised that this was someone to whom the public responded with warmth as well as admiration. If motor racing symbolised the speed and glamour of the modern world, he had turned himself into its embodiment.
His approach to life as a public figure was pragmatic, but never cynical. He was good company, never pompous or self-important, always alive to the world around him and interested in what others had to say. He loved telling stories or, after the big accident in 1962 blurred parts of his memory, being reminded of them. He understood how much strangers loved the chance to hear the old stories directly from his mouth, and he respected their pleasure. Even when he was being paid to attend a function – paid, in effect, for being Stirling Moss for a couple of hours – he gave the impression, without overdoing it, that there was nowhere he would rather be. To sit next to him on such an occasion was to be made to feel that there was nowhere you’d rather be, either. He also had a sense of humour extending to self-mockery: on Desert Island Discs, the prematurely balding 26-year-old’s choice of luxury item was a bottle of hair restorer.
In 2018 his son, Elliot, told the world of his father’s retirement from public life. There would be no more appearances of any sort. The announcement had mentioned his slow recovery from a recent illness. It did not say that he had been confined to bed, in and out of consciousness, for more than a year, since falling ill in Singapore.
He died peacefully at home in London on 12 April 2020 – Easter Sunday, on the bank holiday weekend that had always meant motor racing in Britain, whether bathed in sunshine or battered by hailstorm (sometimes both on the same day).
Coming a month after Britain had gone into lockdown to protect itself against the Covid-19 pandemic and newspaper obituary editors were bracing themselves for a busy time, his death received the kind of coverage due to a figure with a unique standing in the life of the nation, however remote his deeds may have seemed to the younger generations watching the black-and-white clips accompanying the TV eulogies. A private family funeral was held at Mortlake Crematorium in west London. Had it been possible in the following weeks, a memorial service would have filled St Paul’s Cathedral or Westminster Abbey.
Leading a parade of her husband’s cars, Lady Moss waves to the Goodwood crowd from the cockpit of an Aston Martin DBR1 (Glen Smale/Virtual Motorpix).
CHAPTER 60 LAP OF HONOUR
One of his first big wins had come on Easter Monday in 1949 at Goodwood, when he was still in his teens, and on Easter Monday thirteen years later his career had ended at the same circuit. It was at Goodwood during the long final illness, seven months before his death, that a tribute was mounted as part of the annual Revival meeting, in the form of a parade of his old cars. They included the Cooper-JAP in which, on the day after his nineteenth birthday, he had won a Formula 3 race at the circuit’s inaugural meeting, the Vanwall which had taken him to within a point of the world championship, the Lotus 18 that had twice triumphed at Monaco, and one of the Ferrari 250GTs with which he had twice won the TT at the West Sussex track.
Leading the small flotilla was an Aston Martin DBR1, another double TT winner at Goodwood, a car with which he had proved supreme in sports car racing in the late ’50s. At the wheel of the pale green car was the Duke of Richmond, the circuit’s owner, whose grandfather had opened the old aerodrome to racing in 1948. In the passenger seat was Lady Moss.
Improbably enough, Stirling and Susie Paine had first met when he was thirty and she, one of two daughters of a friend in Hong Kong, was five. That was in 1959, during a stopover on his way to Australia. Later he stayed with the family on several occasions; once they had moved to London, he kept in touch. He would take Susie to dinner and she would go with him to his various rental properties, helping to clean the common parts of the buildings while he emptied the meters. They were married in April 1980, with a reception at Crockford’s Club; their son arrived a few months later. For almost forty years they were inseparable, forming the strongest partnership of his life: travelling the world together, sharing the business and the privileges and the enjoyment of being Sir Stirling and Lady Moss, happy to accept the responsibility of being the centre of attention at countless events of many kinds. After the illness hit him, she could not be persuaded to leave his side. This day in West Sussex, at the scene of so many of his triumphs, was an exception.
Now here she was, wearing a black and white polka-dot frock, her blonde hair pinned back, her lipstick pink, the late-summer sun on her face, the epitome of a not-quite-bygone kind of elegance, hearing the cheers from spectators who rose to their feet as the Aston passed by and raising her hand in acknowledgment. Waving to them. Waving for him.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The first biography of Stirling Moss was published in 1953, when he was twenty-three years old and had yet to score his first world championship point. Since then many volumes have chronicled his career. This book, written after his death, attempts to explore the scope and nature of his remarkable fame, and to examine aspects of the character behind the public image.
I must record my gratitude to the authors who preceded me, in particular the late Ken Purdy, Doug Nye, the late Alan Henry, Robert Edwards, Simon Taylor and Philip Porter, all of whom worked from a basis of undisguised admiration and in whose books can be found the fine detail of Moss’s achievements. Edwards’ Authorised Biography, for example, contains a complete race-by-race listing from 1947 to 1962.
A particular debt is also due to the late Denis Jenkinson, whose reports of Moss’s feats in the pages of Motor Sport helped activate a schoolboy’s imagination. Valerie Pirie’s memoir of her association with Moss brought another and less public side of the man into view. Moss himself did historians – past, present and future – a service by keeping diaries and filling scrapbooks which are now in the possession of the Royal Automobile Club.
Clare Alexander, my agent, once again provided encouragement, as did Ian Marshall at Simon & Schuster, where Frances Jessop steered the book through the editing and production process. Adam Ferrington read the manuscript, making shrewd and helpful observations. All opinions and any residual errors are, of course, entirely my own.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brooks, Tony, Poetry in Motion (Motor Racing Publications, 2012)
Burnside, Tom, and Denise McCluggage, American Racing (Könemann, 1996)
Cooper, Michael, Sixties Motor Racing (Palawan Press, 2000)
/> Cooper-Evans, Michael, Rob Walker (Hazleton, 1993)
Donaldson, Gerald, Fangio (Virgin Books, 2003)
Edwards, Robert, Managing a Legend (Haynes, 1997)
——, Stirling Moss: The Authorised Biography (Cassell, 2001)
Fangio, Juan Manuel with Roberto Carozzo, My Racing Life (Patrick Stephens, 1990)
Ferrari, Enzo, My Terrible Joys (Hamish Hamilton, 1965)
——, Una vita per l’automobile (Conti Editore, 1998)
Hawthorn, Mike, Challenge Me the Race (William Kimber, 1958)
——, Champion Year (William Kimber, 1959)
Hilton, Christopher, Le Mans ’55 (Breedon Books, 2004)
Jenkinson, Denis, The Racing Driver (Batsford, 1958)
——, Maserati 250F (Macmillan, 1975)
——, and Cyril Posthumus, Vanwall (Patrick Stephens, 1975)
Kahn, Mark, Death Race Le Mans 1955 (Barrie & Jenkins, 1976)
Lewis, Peter, Alf Francis: Racing Mechanic (Foulis, 1957)
McDonough, Ed, Vanwall: Green for Glory (Crowood Press, 2003)
McKinney, David, Maserati 250F (Crowood Press, 2003)
Manso, Peter, Vrooom!! Conversations with the Grand Prix Champions (Pitman, 1970)
Moss, Stirling, In the Track of Speed (Frederick Muller, 1957)
——, with Wayne Mineau, Book of Motor Sport (Cassell, 1955)
——, with Maxwell Boyd, Second Book of Motor Sport (Cassell, 1958)
——, A Turn at the Wheel (William Kimber, 1961)
——, and Ken Purdy, All But My Life (William Kimber, 1963)
——, with Doug Nye, All My Cars (Patrick Stephens, 1987)
——, and Philip Porter: Stirling Moss Scrapbooks 1929–1954, 1955, 1956–60, 1961 (Porter Press, 2005–9)
——, with Alan Henry, All My Races (Haynes, 2009)
——, with Simon Taylor, My Racing Life (Evro, 2015)
Nixon, Chris, Mon Ami Mate: The Bright Brief Lives of Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins (Transport Bookman, 1991)
O’Neil, Terry, The Bahamas Speed Weeks (Dalton Watson, 2013)
Pirie, Valerie, Ciao, Stirling (Biteback, 2019)
Porter, Philip, Stirling Moss: The Definitive Biography, Vol. 1 (Porter Press, 2016)
Taylor, Simon, John, George and the HWMs (Evro, 2019)
INDEX
A note about the index: The pages referenced in this index refer to the page numbers in the print edition. Clicking on a page number will take you to the ebook location that corresponds to the beginning of that page in the print edition. For a comprehensive list of locations of any word or phrase, use your reading system’s search function.
Page references in italics indicate images.
SM indicates Stirling Moss.
Abecassis, George 21, 35, 38, 45
Agnew, Valerie 71
Aikens, Frank 31
Aintree circuit 9, 33, 69, 112, 113, 165, 222, 243, 251
Aintree 200 (1954) 92
(1956) 147
(1958) 47
(1960) 237
Albert Park, Melbourne 151
Alfa Romeo 2, 12, 19, 20, 28, 32, 36, 38, 59, 60, 64, 146, 160–1, 265
Alfieri, Giulio 147, 186, 238, 281
All But My Life (Moss/Purdy) 243
Allison, Cliff 246
Alpine Rally 82, 101–2
Alta engines 35, 74, 75, 85, 285
Andrews, Eamonn 40, 205–11
Angel Face (film) 43
anti-Semitism 13
Argentine Grand Prix 176 (1953) 191
(1956) 147
(1958) 155, 190–2, 197, 203, 219–20
(1960) 234
Armstrong Siddeley 35
Ascari, Alberto 16, 25, 36, 37, 59, 73, 90, 95, 111, 118, 146, 160, 246
Aston Martin 43, 78, 88, 89, 144, 153, 155, 162, 165, 195, 221, 238 DB2 40, 44
DB3S 126
DBR1 288, 288, 289
DBR2 139
DBR4 251
ATS F1 team 87
Aubrey, Jean 71
Audi 271
Austin Cambridge 172–3
7 11
Austin-Healey 40, 123, 124, 138 100S 139
3000 56
Australian Grand Prix 151, 203, 237
Autocar, The 9, 74, 101, 132
Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry 36, 48, 51, 172
Autosport 31, 59, 76, 107, 223
Auto Union 23, 61, 171
AVUS, Berlin 113, 222, 227
Ayles, Pete 94
Azienda Hombre 183, 189
Bader, Douglas 8
Baghetti, Giancarlo 242, 254, 261
Bahamas Automobile Cup 136–7, 139, 140
Bannister, Roger 8
Barbarino, Elaine 276
Bari Grand Prix 148 (1950) 36–7, 39
(1951) 58, 59, 60, 97, 140, 218
Bates, Paul 210
Batista, Fulgencio 174–5, 177, 178, 180, 181
Baxter, Raymond 208, 237–8
Beart, Francis 33
Beaubien, Margot 155
Bedser, Alec 82
Behra, Jean 94, 121, 148, 149, 166, 167, 169, 185, 192, 227, 246
Belgian Grand Prix (1933) 184
(1954) 92
(1955) 111
(1957) 168
(1958) 197, 203
(1960) 4, 126, 235–6
(1961) 243
Benoist, Robert 20
Berlin Grand Prix (1955) 113
Berthon, Peter 61, 63–4
Bertocchi, Guerino 91, 92, 147, 177, 281–2
Bianchi, Lucien 246
Bira, Prince 69, 95
BMW 5–6, 20, 22, 24 Isetta bubble car 127–8
328 5
Bond Minicar 127
Bonetto, Felice 75
Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah 172–3
Bonnier, Jo 154, 221, 242, 246, 247
Book of Motor Sport 98
Bouley Bay hill climb 25
BP 81, 283
Brabham, Jack 126, 155, 220, 222, 223, 235, 236, 242, 243, 246, 248, 251
Brandon, Eric 22, 24, 25
Brands Hatch 32, 37, 47, 55, 56
Bremgarten 38, 95
Bristol Motor Club 20
Bristow, Chris 226, 269
British Colonial Hotel, Nassau 136
British Empire Trophy 143, 251
British Grand Prix 73 (1948) 25–6
(1949) 27, 160
(1950) 6, 18, 18, 31–2, 33
(1951) 33, 58, 59, 62
(1952) 33, 73
(1953) 47, 74
(1954) 47, 92–3
(1955) 104, 104, 112–13, 148
(1956) 47, 162
(1957) 9, 17, 165–7
(1958) 152, 197, 203, 272
(1959) 222
(1960) 236
(1961) 251
British Motor Corporation 172–3
British Overseas Airways Corporation 176
British Oxygen Company 17
British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) 26, 32, 33, 75, 88, 101, 142–3 Gold Star 33, 75, 142–3
British Racing Motors (BRM) 59, 61–5, 72, 74, 130, 160, 161, 162, 190, 221, 222, 235, 242, 252, 259, 260, 261, 285 BRM Trust 63
P25 221
British Racing Partnership (BRP) 221, 222, 226, 259, 260–1, 262, 269–70
British Touring Car Championship 271
Brooklands 8, 12, 19, 20, 50, 138, 159, 171
Brooks, Tony 9, 78, 130–1, 155, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 193, 194–5, 197–8, 199, 200, 219, 221–2, 224, 242, 246, 248, 252, 277
Brough aerodrome 24–5
Brussels Grand Prix 259
Bryan, Jimmy 185
BSA/Triumph scooter 128
Bueb, Ivor 123, 224–7, 229
Buell, Temple 177
Buenos Aires autodrome 109–10
Buenos Aires Grand Prix 110, 147
Bugatti 19, 20, 21, 265, 270
Button, Jenson 278, 283
Caen Grand Prix 93, 156
Cambridge University 21
<
br /> Camoradi 238–9
Campari, Giuseppe 184
Campbell, Malcolm 171
Camps, Arnold Rodriguez 178, 180
Cape Grand Prix 237
Caracciola, Rudolf 97, 118, 171
Cardew, Basil 260
Carlsson, Eric 56
Carne, Judy 275
Carreras, Abelardo 179
Casner, Lloyd ‘Lucky’ 181, 238–9
Casner Motor Racing Division 239
Castel Fusano 92
Castellotti, Eugenio 2, 111, 117, 118, 144, 148, 149, 246
Castle Combe 33, 68
Castro, Fidel 156, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181
Chapman, Colin 161, 164, 234
Charterhall 73, 75
Chelita, Princess 69
Chevrolet Corvette 139
Chiltern Night Rally 100
Chiti, Carlo 261
Chrysler 40–1
Cifuentes, Armando García 179
Claes, Johnny 35
Clarke, Jean 69, 275
Clarke, Rodney 73
Clark, Jim 241, 242, 246, 252, 278, 283
Cobb, John 171
Coca-Cola 82
Cockfosters Rally 20
Collins, Joan 203
Collins, Peter 2–3, 16, 31, 55, 56, 78, 80, 125, 126, 131, 142, 143–5, 148, 149, 150, 151, 155, 156, 161, 163, 165, 166, 168, 191, 193, 197, 200, 203, 219, 224
Colony Club 69–70
Colotti, Valerio 87, 220, 222
Compton, Denis 5, 6, 7, 81
Connaught 33, 73, 130–1, 149, 162, 163, 225, 251
Connell, Ian 219
Cooper 55, 72, 87, 101, 102, 191, 192, 208, 218–19, 221, 222, 223, 224, 226, 234, 235, 238, 242, 243, 251, 259, 260, 261, 269 ‘Bobtail’ sports car 86
Cooper-Alta 74, 75, 85, 285
The Boy Page 22
