Two motorsport legends were reunited in Melbourne last week when Sir Stirling Moss and the Maserati 250F in which he won the 1956 Melbourne Grand Prix were brought together to open Melbourne’s new Ferrari and Maserati dealership, Zagame Ferrari and Maserati, in Church Street, Richmond.

“To say we are honoured to have Sir Stirling Moss and his Maserati 250F at our opening is a complete understatement,” says Bobby Zagame, Managing Director of the Zagame Group. “Sir Stirling Moss is, quite simply, one of the greatest racing drivers of all time, a driver who is held in awe by all subsequent generations for his skill, ability and bravery behind the wheel. The Maserati 250F is one of the greatest Formula One cars of all time, a car that redefined performance in its period and which, at the same time, is also an absolutely beautiful car. Sir Stirling Moss and the 250F came together in 1956 in Albert Park to provide one of the greatest Formula One races of all time. To have them reunited in our new showroom is a unique event and one which will provide life-long memories for all those present,” says Mr Zagame.

More than 500 guests listened to Maserati Australia’s Edward Butler celebrate Sir Stirling Moss and his career, describing him as a boyhood hero for many people in the room who provided inspiration for generations of motor sport fans. Mario Micheli, Ferrari Asia Pacific Director, welcomed Bobby Zagame to the Ferrari and Maserati families and congratulated the company on producing a world-class dealership for the two marques. Sir Stirling Moss spoke in praise of his legendary Maserati, spending the evening, when not on stage, sitting alongside the 250F and surrounded by well-wishers and motor sport fans, as inseparable now as they were 50 years ago in Albert Park.

The greatest driver never to win the World Championship, Sir Stirling Moss OBE is arguably the greatest all-round racing driver of all time. Known during his career as ‘Mr Motor Racing’ he began hillclimbing a Cooper 500 in 1948 at the age of 18. His early career was meteoric and soon he was driving works cars for Jaguar and HWM. In 1955 he was signed up by Mercedes-Benz to partner World Champion Fangio. That year Stirling shadowed the great Argentine in most Grands Prix, beating him to win the British GP. Famously, that year he won the incredible Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio and the Tourist Trophy – all legendary sports car races.
 

For four years he would finish runner-up in the World Championship and, after Mercedes Benz retired, led the Maserati and Vanwall teams. He also continued to drive saloon and sports cars and during his remarkable career drove more 80 different types of car. In the late 50s and early 60s, he led the changeover to rear-engined F1 cars, achieving the first victory for such a car at the 1958 Argentine GP and was in a class of his own during this period. A near-fatal accident ended it all in 1962 but he was to remain a superstar to this day. One of the original jet-setters, he still dashes round the world fulfilling engagements and competing in historic racing.

Although total production of the Maserati 250F was just 26 cars, it was the backbone of the Formula One Championship from 1954 to 1960, when it made its last appearance in a Formula One event. This is a remarkably long life for a racing car, especially compared to cars raced today, which usually have just a 12 month life. Powered by a 2.5 litre straight six cylinder engine, power output rose from 180 kW to 210 kW during its lifetime, sufficient to provide this 630 kg car with a top speed in excess of 290 km/h. Later versions were powered by 2.5 litre V12 with 230 kW.

Aside from the Grand Prix in Melbourne, perhaps the most famous race for the Maserati 250F was in the German Grand Prix of 1957. In the middle of that particular race, Juan Fangio was trailing the Ferraris of Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins. After a pitstop he set of in pursuit and over the following 22 laps of what is probably the most difficult Grand Prix track in the world, Fangio reeled in the Ferraris and, in doing so broke the lap record no less than ten times to beat both Ferraris.

The place of the Maserati 250F in the history has been secured not just by its success or its performance, but also by the fact that during the 1950s its was the very epitome of a Formula One car, especially when it was bright red, and it helped transform Formula One motorsport into a world series.