The last blast – A special farewell to Sir Stirling Moss

Sir Stirling Moss passed away in London in April 2020. Many honouring and loving obituaries and memories of the racing legend have been written since then. With the short film The Last Blast, Mercedes-Benz Classic pays homage to Moss in a very special, touching way.

There is the anecdote that British police officers confronted road users who were speeding with the question: “Who do you think you are? Stirling Moss?” And one day a driver is said to have answered truthfully “Yes, I am” after a daring overtaking manoeuvre in London.

The Mercedes-Benz Classic film team picks up on this anecdote. In the centre of London, Stirling Moss’ home town. With the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR from 1955, the racing sports car with start number 722 in the record-breaking 1955 Mille Miglia.

10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds – The record for eternity

It was precisely this fabulous time, 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds, that Stirling Moss and his co-driver and navigator Denis Jenkinson needed to drive from Brescia to Rome and back. At 7.22, the wild ride began for the two Britons in the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR and ended in the record for the tradition-steeped race, which has never been beaten again.

The original racing car is part of the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection and was recently still on the road at Goodwood. Before it goes back on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum for the time being, where it will tell the glorious story of Sir Stirling Moss at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz to countless visitors, 722 was to make one last grand appearance on the road.

The Last Blast – The cinematic tribute to Sir Stirling Moss.

The resulting short film lasts only three and a half minutes, but touchingly expresses the brand’s appreciation and gratitude for the great services of Sir Stirling Moss.

The starting point of the drive on an early Sunday morning is The Temple. It passes the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, the Royal Automobile Club and the hotel “The Ritz”. At the wheel is Gert Straub from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Fellbach. A proven expert on the special vehicles from the history of Mercedes-Benz. By coincidence, Straub also says goodbye to retirement with this special film shoot, which is also a special story. On the way, “722” meets the 300 SL “Gullwing” in which Moss drove to the Mille Miglia in 1995.

The drive ends in front of Moss’ private home in the Mayfair district. There, Elliot Moss stands in front of the door and looks at the watch on his wrist that his father had worn for many years: the 300 SLR rolls out at exactly 7:22 a.m., the original starting time of Moss and Jenkinson at the Mille Miglia and therefore the starting number of the racing sports car. A turn of the ignition key, the engine stops.

Finding the right words to say goodbye is sometimes not easy. Mercedes-Benz Classic succeeds in writing a moving tribute to Sir Stirling Moss with The Last Blast. It is a touching bow to the racing driver and human being Stirling Moss and a thank you both for his loyal service to the brand and to his wife Lady Susie Moss and son Elliott for their support.

Watch the short film The Last Blast here.

Photos Mercedes-Benz AG

Author: Paolo Ollig

As editor-in-chief Paolo regularly writes about all the big and small stories related to classic cars and motorbikes. Classic dreams: Lamborghini Countach and Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. View all posts by Paolo Ollig →