Stirling Stuff

Green One

Green One

New member
Is it just me or is 'Sir Stirling' fatigue really setting in? I know the old boy is a real hero etc but 50 years on, any major car event, classic mag (esp the 'tweed n' pipe' ones) have some kind of biopic or write-up on him. Frankly I'm getting a bit bored with it all! He's clearly minted (lives in Mayfair) is a great self-publicist and is having the time of his life at 80, so hats off to Stirling, now please leave us all alone! :evil:
 
i'd hope to be going strong like him at 80 :) at least he is a celeb who actually has a talent and i'd prefer to see him everywhere than all those other nobodys. big brother springs to mind.
 
martin k said:
i'd hope to be going strong like him at 80 :) at least he is a celeb who actually has a talent and i'd prefer to see him everywhere than all those other nobodys. big brother springs to mind.
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Could'nt agree with you more Martin, the amount of talentless, idiotic nobodys pushed in our face everyday really pi**es me off.
 
Green One said:
Is it just me or is 'Sir Stirling' fatigue really setting in? I know the old boy is a real hero etc but 50 years on, any major car event, classic mag (esp the 'tweed n' pipe' ones) have some kind of biopic or write-up on him. Frankly I'm getting a bit bored with it all! He's clearly minted (lives in Mayfair) is a great self-publicist and is having the time of his life at 80, so hats off to Stirling, now please leave us all alone! :evil:
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Sorry Green One, must disagree with your assertion.
Stirling Moss is a British institution and a British icon. It's a pity there's no more like him and the higher the profile the better, that's for sure.
I was watching a programme about him recently and he was saying he is still listed in the London telephone directory. Can you believe it. The rationale being that the fans have been good to him and if they want to speak to him they are welcome. How many of todays hyped up psuedo stars would be prepared to do that! Man of the people or what......
He's even been known to drive the odd Lotus Cortina or two , so give him a well deserved break.
 
I second that, he's not famous for being famous like the so called celebs I've never heard of, he's famous because of his achievements!!
Other achievers of a similar age cannot still 'have a go' like a driver can, Roger Bannister comes to mind but there are loads of others.
 
Per my original message, no one is suggesting taking anything away from his achievements or stature, it's just the overkill in the classic car press/events I'm talking about. I guess it also reflects the incredible social polarisation we seem to get in the classic car world that seems reflected in the publications catering for this market( i.e. a negative aspect of our chosen hobby IMHO).....; the tweed & pipe brigade lavishing attention on him in a very sicophantic 'we're posh boyz' way.

Or maybe its just me :?
 
Maybe Stirling Moss gets a lot of attention because he is one of the few hero drivers of his era who managed to live to tell the tale. Having read about him and watched old race film from his prime, I would definitely say he was a very special driver deserving of a bit of attention in his old age. In his day you didn't get paid millions just to drive in F1, but had to drive anything you could get a drive in, just to make a living, until the inevitable big accident finished your career (if you were lucky) or killed you (if you weren't).
Tommy
 
That inevitable accident came at Goodwood that nearly Killed him in 62 smashing his legs pelvis and internals. Its amazing he can walk let alone drive a racing car.
He has since become a patron of the Goodwood festivals! (I would`nt be seen anywhere near a place that tried to kill me)
He had his first ever drive in a Lotus Cortina also at Goodwood a couple of years ago at the revival meeting in the St Marys Trophy (as featured on the cover of the QB at the time) His comments before he drove it "I`ve always wanted to drive a Lotus Cortina for years and never had the opportunity" His comments after his drive " excellent just how I always hoped it would be"
National treasure or what?
Nuff said!
Andy M
 
Lets face it ,if your into classic cars and the classic car scene your gonna hear alot about Sterling Moss, likewise if your into football like it or not your gonna hear alot about manchester utd.
 
Well each to his own, I think I've been clear about not attacking Sterling the man more the malise around him. I wasn't of a generation that grew up with him which may mean I don't share the awe of him felt by other members. Still happy to have aired my viewpoint :wink:
 
I remember being with Mark Ibbot one year at the revival and we accidently nearly walked into him, I raised my Trilby in respect and as we got close I could swear he smelt of hot crossply's and Castrol R.
 
Green One - I can see your point of view , and tend to agree with it.
I'm not sure how much of the publicity if down to Stering himself or just the event organisers capitalising on his fame.

I did see a program about him on the box recently , and he did come across as a bit difficult and set in his ways. He basically does what he wants and if his poor wife doesn like it then tough. He even has her deliver his dinner on a tray lowered down from a room above right into his lap!!

Mine you I would mine all the freebies he must get.
 
Stirling's big shunt was at Goodwood in 1962 which is why he never got to drive a lotus cortina and he was brain damaged by it, which altered his personality and took away his ability to drive fast without having to think about it (before it all came naturally and this change made him decide not to come back).
If you want to hear from an ace driver from the 50's or 60's and do not like Stirling Moss or Jackie Stewart then who else is left that was there and wants to talk about it. There are only a handfull, Tony Brooks, John Surtees, Jack Brabham and Dan Gurney, that I can think of at the moment.
Maybe these other few value their privacy, or are men of few words, so those chasing quotes, articles or appearances end up at Stirling's or Jackie's door.
Stirling's career was over 4 years before I was born, but I can still appreciate was a great driver and sporting gent (unlike Schumacher or Senna) he was.
Tommy
 
All I can say is at least they you guys are getting a motorsport personallity shoved in you face all the time. i tell you if I have to honour some rugby player at some prize giving, or listen to some rugby player at a charity, or listen to some rugby player on TV talking about how he has the answer to the worlds problems, or aout how he......... well lets put it this way, I think Stirling Moss has acheived more in his life time han some of the people that spend 5 years tackling others. Gosh, anyone would think I can't stand rugby...
 
i remember a story about some builders working in his house,he had a big jar of sweets and he went mad when he noticed the builders had been dipping into them.i think he still has his first wage packet:)
when he appears on one of those dancing singing rubbish tv shows,then it would be too much :)
 
I saw one of these at Dunsfold the other week and he's even managed to get his name on it!!

2009 Mercedes McLaren SLR Stirling Moss

http://jalopnik.com/5113933/2009-mercedes-mclaren-slr-stirling-moss

McLaren_SLR_Stirling_Moss-02.jpg
 
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