By now, I’m sure most of you are aware of Sir Stirling Moss’s “lift incident” where he stepped into the elevator (made out of Carbon Fiber no less) in his home only to find himself suddenly and surprisingly falling three floors to the bottom after the lift itself decided to stop on the floor above. As gracious and in good humor as ever, Sir Moss wrote a letter to all his friends and fans explaining the accident and his ongoing recovery and took the time to record the following video as well.
You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down
Suddenly confined to a wheelchair, yet again, Sir Stirling Moss was unable to attend this year’s show and auction at Amelia Island where he was to be the guest of honor and help celebrate the event’s 15th Anniversary.
Never one to let an accident stand in his way, Stirling acquired the Porsche RS 61 Spyder (shown above and below), a Porsche he has long sought after. Purchased via proxy for $1.705MM, at the Amelia Island Auction in Florida, run by Gooding & Company, on Friday, March 12th, a delighted Stirling and Susie [his wife] said “this makes a wonderful 30th Wedding Anniversary present” and added “its something to look forward too” when he recovers from his injuries.
Something “to look forward to”? That’s an understatement. Having won close to 50% of all the races he ever entered Sir Stirling Moss is most widely known as one of auto racing’s elite. His storied career includes experiences with dozens and dozens of manufacturers including Porsche. Moss is intimately familiar with the Porsche RS series as he raced them extensively and almost won the 1961 Targo Floria at the wheel of an RS.
Sir Stirling Moss is a Cross Between 007 and Austen Powers
What you may not know about the racing super star is his Bond like appreciation for gadgets, mechanical and otherwise. Take a look at the video below and you’ll understand what we’re talking about.
I wonder if we’ll see an ejector seat get added to the Porsche RS? You can visit Sir Stirling Moss’s web-site for more details on the Porsche itself, including provenance and history.
Related Porsche Posts
Sir Stirling Moss Retires
Porsche Type 64 On Its Way to Atlanta
Video Recap of Porsche’s Participation in Monterey
Porsches at the 2009 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance
[Source: Gooding and Company, Stirling Moss, Jalopnik]
[Photo Credit: Photos by Pawel Litwinski © 2009 Courtesy of Gooding & Company]
