Unbeaten: Sir Stirling Moss and the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR
Giancarlo Perlas May 22, 2015
The iconic #722 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR driven by Sir Stirling Moss at the 1955 Mille Miglia.
Sir Stirling Moss reminisces the sweetest victory of his entire career at the 1955 Mille Miglia. Only 25 years old at that time, Sir Moss and navigator Denis Jenkinson embarked on a journey that would later make its mark on the record books of the rare and prestigious endurance event in history.
The two were in the now-famous Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W196S), which is a two-seat sports car inspired by the Mercedes-Benz W196 Formula One car. The car had the body number 722, indicating the time it started in Brescia, which was 7:22 a.m.
Together, they finished the whole 992-mile ordeal in the Italian countryside in a span of only 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds. Their average speed was 98.53 miles per hour. It was a record that would remain unbeaten in its category up to this day.
In the video below, Sir Stirling Moss recounts that defining and memorable moment of his life in his own words:
Sir Moss detailed what he felt at the start of the race up to the dangerous parts of the road. It should be noted that the Mille Miglia has been marred with numerous crashes and even deaths over its course, so that’s how dangerous the race is. He recalled how he would wiggle the car side-by-side in populous areas just to make the spectators move back a little and make some room along the way.
The legendary driver also shared what it meant for him to beat Juan Manuel Fangio who was a two-time F1 World Champion back then.
Lastly, Sir Moss remarked that the 722 is a really strong car. He said, it may be old but it would still be able to beat many cars of this day.
