Overview

In this very personal book, Stirling Moss guides the reader through his motor racing life with a fascinating, insightful and often amusing commentary to an unrivalled collection of over 300 photographs, many of which will be unfamiliar to even his most ardent fans. He takes us from his childhood to the height of his fame as ‘Mr Motor Racing’ and then to the sudden end of his career with that crash at Goodwood in 1962. Along the way we dwell on his finest moments as well as the setbacks, and delight in the sheer variety of machinery – almost 100 different cars – in which he competed during his rollercoaster racing life. This is a book that all motor racing enthusiasts will treasure.

• Starting in 1948, he made his name in little 500cc Coopers, moving towards stardom in HWM, ERA and Cooper F2 cars, then his own F1 Maserati 250F.
• The 1955 Mercedes season and its twin highlights – winning the Mille Miglia and the British Grand Prix.
• His longing to win in British cars was rewarded with two fine F1 seasons at Vanwall (1957–58), with whom he came very close to winning the F1 World Championship, and sports car successes with Aston Martin.
• Rear-engined Cooper and Lotus F1 cars with Rob Walker (1958–62), including two celebrated Monaco GP wins.
• Two-seater variety: the amazing range of sports cars he drove included Jaguars (XK120, C-type and D-type), Maseratis (150S to 450S), Ferraris (250 GT SWB and Testa Rossa) and Porsches (550 Spyder to RS61), plus Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica, Osca, Healey 100S, Cooper ‘Bobtail’ and more.
• Ever busy and versatile: rallying with Sunbeams, trialling a Harford special, Bonneville record-breaking with MG EX181, saloon car racing in a humble Standard Ten – and even a kart race.

Published to mark the 60th anniversary of Moss’s famous win in the 1955 Mille Miglia road race in a Mercedes 300SLR.

Specification

• ISBN: 978-1-910505-06-9
• Format: 280 x 235mm
• Jacketed hardback
• Page extent: 312pp
• Illustration: 325 photographs, including colour
• Word count: 59,000

The author

Simon Taylor has been immersed in motor sport for nearly 50 years as a journalist, commentator, publisher and historian. He joined the weekly magazine Autosport straight from university, and was its editor by the age of 23.

He was BBC Radio’s voice of motor racing for more than 20 years, reporting on Formula 1 from all over the world, and has done a variety of TV commentary and presentation work. He appeared as himself in the Ron Howard movie Rush, about the 1976 F1 championship battle between James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

He has a small collection of classic cars, and competes in historic motor sport with his ex-Stirling Moss 1950 HWM. He is married and lives in London.

Reviews

“Much has been written about that historic victory [the 1955 Mille Miglia], but it’s not Moss’s crowning achievement. Far more remarkable is his sheer versatility as a racing driver. If you need proof, simply look at the latest book on his racing career, which spanned only 14 seasons but packed in a lifetime’s achievement… This book is a wonderful reminder of Moss’s innate talent at the wheel.”

Daily Telegraph

“More than half a century since his career was ended by an horrendous crash, Moss is still ubiquitous in world motorsport, celebrated in his autobiography, My Racing Life.”
The Times

“The key moments of a life in racing… are captured in 320 photos, some being published for the first time, plus a riveting text…”
The Independent 

“A great guide through the career of one of our most famous racing drivers.”
Daily Express

“Simon Taylor was the perfect choice as co-author, having followed Moss’s career since he was a schoolboy in the 1950s, and he’s done a superb job of marrying Moss’s recollections with pictures from every part of his life… its strength lies in the diversity of images obtained from many sources.”
Octane

“From the publishing company that brought us the excellent John Surtees: My Incredible Life, Sir Stirling Moss gets the same treatment with another great autobiography. The legendary racing driver tells the story of his career, with fascinating accounts of his heyday. Foreword from Lewis Hamilton, and a brilliant set of pictures, make this a must-buy.”
Auto Express

“... eye-opening… refreshingly honest.”
Classic Cars

“The voice of ‘Mr Motor Racing’ drips from the page… The photos aren’t bad either, ranging from the well-known to the obscure, including images of Stirling’s enthusiast parents in motoring competitions.”
Motor Sport