During his all-too-short 15-year career, Moss drove 85 different cars, winning more than 40 percent of the 529 events he entered and was among the first British to drive racing cars for a living, racing in circuits worldwide. British motor racing in the early post-war period was a deadly game played out in cars with little thought to safety. Petrol tanks were placed over driver's legs, competitors wore linen T-shirts and simple crash hats, and seat belts weren't conceived yet. Fatalities were common. "Part of the pleasure of motor racing in those days was its danger," reflects Stirling Moss. "If you removed the feeling of danger, you removed the feeling of achievement."

Moss was impassioned about racing early in life, influenced by his father, who raced at Indianapolis and Brooklands, and his mother, who was active in trials and rallies. As a boy, his mother, Aileen, allowed Stirling to steer the family car along the drive of their home by the Thames. It was then that he recalls being exhilarated by speed.

Aged just 18, Moss's first opportunity to take part in motor sport came when he entered a local trial in 1947. Driving a pre-war BMW 328 bought by his father, the event gave him his first success. Early the following year, father and son passed the Cooper Car Co. showroom in Surbiton, South London, stopping to inspect a sleek Mk11 Cooper 500 racer. An order was placed and in his first event at the Prescott Hill Climb, Moss finished the day in fourth position in the 500cc class.

Fourteen years later, a near-fatal catastrophe at Goodwood ended Moss's exciting racing career. Yet his celebrity, particularly among the British, culminated at his knighting ceremony in 2000, exemplifying his country's love affair with the racing star.

British National Champion ten times, 'Sir Stirling' is clearly sad to never have won a World Championship, yet is consoled with the knowledge that he was always considered the driver to beat. "I believe what makes a great racing driver is versatility and consistency, and respect for other drivers." Loved and respected still, few men share Moss's honor of becoming a legend in one's own lifetime.

Read more about Stirling Moss in the Back Issue - Volume 42 Number 2