Stirling Moss was a Post-War Nash man

17th Apr 2020

Sir Stirling Moss, who died over Easter, might never have raced or even driven a chain-drive Nash, but he did race several shaft-driven Nashes.

Stirling started competing at 17 in his father’s FN-BMW 328 at events like the Brighton Speed Trials and then went on to be a young prodigy in (chain-driven) Cooper 500s.

He had his first race in a post-war Nash at Castle Combe in October 1950 aged 21 where he won, beating Tony Crook in a similar Le Mans Rep. He shared Roy Salvadori’s Le Mans Rep in a relay race at Castle Combe in April 1952.

Moss famously won the British Empire Trophy (BET) in the Isle of Man in June 1951 driving the Le Mans Rep which is now owned by the Frazer Nash Archives. He drove the same car in the same race in 1952 but had to retire with electrical problems. He subsequently won the BET in 1956, 1958 and 1961 in Coopers and an Aston Martin.

In May 1952 Moss drove the works-development Le Mans Rep at Monaco when the GP was held for sports cars that year. He was on pole and duelling for the lead but had to retire with a loose rear wheel.

It was always exciting to watch Stirling Moss race because you knew that he was the best and was always capable of winning, even if driving a less than competitive car, which made it even more spell-bounding. (JT)

Stirling Moss has  died aged 90. Pictured here in a LeMans rep Frazer Nash