I don’t remember my dad as being a particularly big fan of racing, but I do know that his favourite driver was Stirling Moss, the British legend who tore up the Grand Prix circuit in the 1950s. So, a few years ago, when I had the chance to meet the man in person, it was a genuine thrill by proxy.
The occasion was the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca Raceway. Moss was in attendance, driving the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR with which he destroyed the competition in that year’s Mille Miglia road race [pictured below]. Sir Stirling wowed the fans with his skill and had Jay Leno, his passenger for the demonstration run, reaching for the airsick bags over the track’s infamous corkscrew turn.
The following day, a small horde of people gathered at Monterey airport, waiting for flights to various destinations. Trouble was, fog had settled in and no planes were allowed to take off or land. One of the stranded passengers was Moss, and it didn’t take long for people in the small terminal to realize they were in the presence of greatness.
While it was clear that Sir Stirling would’ve rather spent his downtime chatting with his wife, Lady Susie, he was interrupted regularly—and, at times, rudely—by people wanting autographs and to pose for photos. He greeted every one of them with grace and humility. Seeing this, I timed my approach perfectly and walked up just to shake his hand and say hello.
More than a half-century after the original Moss-SLR pairing, Mercedes-Benz is renewing the relationship with the release of the limited-edition 2009 Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR Stirling Moss. This fierce-looking roadster is the real deal: 650 horsepower, a top speed of 350 km/h, no roof, no windshield, no side windows and only a small wind deflector to prevent head-on collisions with all manner of flying insects. (In other words, a pair of ’50s-style goggles might be prudent.)
Not only is this car a fitting tribute to Stirling Moss on the occasion of his 80th birthday, it’s also a dead certain lock to become a collector’s item; only 75 will be built, all will be offered only to owners of the company’s other SLRs and the price is expected to be well north of $1 million.
The SLR Stirling Moss is set to make its worldwide debut at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit from January 11-25.
