Stirling Moss in the Aston Martin DBR1 in the Goodwood Trophy of 1959

The 1959 Tourist Trophy at Goodwood on a glorious late summer’s day; the final race of the 1959 World Sports Car Championship and the scene of one of Stirling Moss’ classic drives.  The Aston Martin team needed to win this race to clinch the Sports Car Championship and from the start the Moss/Salvadori Aston Martin DBR1 led, until the first pit stop. Aston’s had equipped their cars with on-board hydraulic jacks to speed-up pit stops but disaster struck when fuel spilt onto the hot exhaust and the car spectacularly caught fire.  Fortunately Roy Salvadori suffered only minor injuries and Stirling Moss, who had been waiting to drive the second stint in the number one Aston Martin took over the second team car and chased down the Ferraris to re-take the lead.

Here in the later stages of the race Stirling is shown leading the Ferrari Testa Rossa driven by Tony Brooks.

This was probably the pinnacle of the period of classic front engined sports racing cars with both the Aston Martin DBR1 and the Ferrari Testa Rossa being classic examples of these glorious looking and sounding race cars.