Stirling Moss's historic car to be auctioned – stunning photos of restored masterpiece
THE historic race car belonging to Sir Stirling Moss which he raced in the Mille Miglia in Italy, is to be sold at auction.
The Mercedes Benz 300 SL "Gulliwing" played a vital role in Moss's greatest ever race win in 1955 in what is commonly regarded as one of the most famous victories in motorsport history.
Moss and his navigator, journalist Denis Jenkinson, used the car on a course reconnaissance ahead of the gruelling 1,000-mile race.
Moss won in a new record time and averaged a speed of 97mph. He beat teammate Juan Manuel Fangio's time by nearly half an hour.
They won the race in a Mercedes 300 SLR, a model regarded as one of the finest race cars in history.
The Mercedes 300 SL, with its distinctive roof-hinged gullwing doors, is being offered fully restored to original 1954-55 specification and will be auctioned at the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart, Germany, on July 12.
The car is expected to reach over £1million and attract buyers from all over the world.
Bonhams group motoring director James Knight said: “This is arguably the most historic 300SL Gullwing extant and is the latest consignment to the auction at the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart.”