After his passing last year, the motorsport community all agreed on one particular sentiment; he was one of the all time greats.
Not all racers get the opportunity to leave racing on their own terms. Moss is one of those who certainly could have won a championship if he was able to continue for a few more years, but after very nearly losing his life in a serious accident, he realized his time was up. He woke from a coma after more than a month, after bouncing back from several other serious accidents, this time it was a bridge too far. It proved to be a wise decision in an era when racing was at its most dangerous, cars were more powerful than their brakes, tires, and chassis could handle and many of his compatriots lost their lives to the sport. He was one of the lucky ones and went on to live a full, colorful life.
10 Born In 1929
Moss was born into a family that loved racing, both his father and mother raced cars at some point in their lives. His father competed in the Indy 500 twice while studying in America, and his mother entered several rallies in the 30s.
It is fair to say he had racing in his blood, and quickly fell in love with the sport as a child, receiving an old car he would race around the family farm as a gift.
9 212 Race Wins Across All Formats
After entering his first race as an 18-year-old, which was rare for the time, he went on to rack up an impressive 212 race wins.
Although his career was fairly short when you compare it to some of the other greats, it was not short of action. He was the quintessential playboy racing driver and won the hearts of fans with his antics both on and off the racetrack.
8 Land Speed Record
In 1957, he went to the Utah salt flats and set a Class F speed record. He clocked in at 245 mph, beating the previous record by 40 mph in his MG.
It was a short-lived record, though, with MG going back just two years later with another top level driver who set a better time.
7 Well Paid
In a time when most of the racers came from very wealthy families and paid their way into the sport, Moss was one of the few that got wealthy through the sport, although his certainly isn’t a rags-to-riches story.
He became one of the sports’ true superstars thanks to his ability on track and his charm off it. He also cashed in on his fame and was never shy to admit it after his racing days, making several paid appearances.
6 16 GP Wins
In 1955, he realized his dream and joined his idol Juan Manuel Fangio, arguably the greatest driver of all time, at Mercedes-Benz.
At the time, it was a controversial move, with WWII fresh in everyone's memories. It was quickly swept aside when he won his first race, his home race; the British Grand Prix.
5 Won Races For The Germans
His first GP win wasn’t his only achievement in 1955, he also won a TT event in Ireland and the Targa Florio.
His most memorable achievement for the German team was winning the Mille Miglia by more than 30 minutes. He was the first Brit to win the race, and the time he and his co-driver set has never been beaten, with an average speed of close to 160 mph over the 1000 miles.
4 Greatest Driver To Never Win A Championship
Many put his name alongside drivers like Fangio, Senna, and more recently Hamilton as the greatest driver. It is easy to say he is the greatest driver to never win a championship, because so many have won championships that were not half the driver he was.
If Mercedes-Benz didn’t pull out of the sport, he could have easily won many championships with them, but after they left the sport he went to Maserati for a year then stuck with the less fancied British teams and still came ever so close.
3 Chose Integrity Over A Championship
1958 was easily the closest he came to winning a championship, although he came second several times he had a chance to take key points away from a rival if he chose to simply stay silent.
With the cutthroat nature of motorsport today, drivers (and motorcycle riders) have quite literally attempted to take their rivals out of races. Mike Hawthorn would have been disqualified from a race had Moss not come to his defense, Hawthorn ended with 42 points, a solitary point clear of Moss on 41.
2 Career Ending Accident
After enduring several serious accidents, it is not unreasonable to suggest he was lucky to get this far.
He is a driver that took the car, its tires, and himself to the limit every time he raced, and sometimes one of the three would fail. His accident in 1961 would be his last though, after spending 38 days in a coma, he rightly called it a day. His exploits will still live long in the memories of fans across the world, champion or not.
1 Knighted In 2000
In 2000 his sporting efforts for the UK were officially recognized when he received his Knighthood.
It was a fitting way to enter his retirement, and he would continue to make guest appearances until 2018 when his health deteriorated, eventually passing away two years later at the age of 90.