The Mercedes-Benz race cars that brought Stirling Moss his greatest racing fame in 1955 will serve as the centerpiece for the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in March, when Moss will be the honored guest for the 20th annual Florida showcase.
The famous Mercedes 300SLR that Moss and navigator Denis Jenkinson drove to resounding victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia – setting a course record on public roads that was never broken – and the W196 Grand Prix car the British champion drove to repeated wins during the 1955 season will be on display among the more than 300 rare classic vehicles taking part in the Amelia Island Concours.
The 300SLR was later driven by Moss to victories in the Targa Florio of Italy and the Tourist Trophy of Ireland, clinching the World Sports Car Championship for Mercedes-Benz. Moss drove the W196 to 16 victories in Formula 1 to also achieve the 1955 F1 automakers title for Mercedes, although the driver fell short of winning a driving championship for himself.
Moss was the honoree at the first Amelia Island Concours in 1996, and will be the first person ever honored twice at the event.
“Sir Stirling set us on our path in 1996,” said Bill Warner, founder and chairman of the Amelia Island Concours. “To have Sir Stirling and his Mercedes-Benz racers from the 1955 double world-championship season on the field is a fantasy come true for us. This is absolutely unprecedented.”
The 2015 Amelia Island Concours is scheduled March 13-15 on the fairways of The Golf Club of Amelia Island at The Ritz-Carlton.
I’d be very interested in seeing a recounting of the “16 victories” Moss drove in a W196. Very, very interested. I think the over-enthusiastic writer might have meant “16 career Formula One victories”, actually, old chap. How did that get past the “editor”,since there were only six Formula One races in the Championship season of 1955?
Without question Mr sterling Moss will be a great attraction at the event, but at the same time the record should be straighten and clarified. 1955 had 6 Formula 1 races where the Mercedes Benz team has shown its superiority by winning 5 of them with Juan Manual Fangio taking 4 victories and Mr Moss 1.. In making a reference to that period of racing, Sterling Moss Quoted ” I became fortunate enough to count Fangio as my Friend, in many ways as a mentor, and always as the complete master of our sport “. Sterling Moss 1991