05/27/2026
This Day in Auto History
5.27.1951
Stirling Moss made his Formula One debut at the Swiss Grand Prix held at Bremgarten. Juan Manuel Fangio in his Alfa Romeo was on pole and set fastest lap of the race to his winning in a time of 2:07:53. Over a minute later, Piero Taruffi in his Ferrari finished second after starting sixth and Giuseppe Farina in an Alfa was third from second on the grid. Consalvo Sanesi was fourth in his Alfa Romeo one lap down from the winner, Emmanuel de Graffenried was fifth in another Alfa. Although Moss finished eighth in this race, he went on to be regarded as one of the greatest drivers to never win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship. Moss won 212 official races across several motorsport disciplines, including 16 Formula One Grands Prix. In endurance racing, Moss won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1954, as well as the Mille Miglia in 1955 with Mercedes. Upon retiring from motor racing, Moss established a career as a commentator and pundit for ABC.
He also was remembered by a generation for his involvement announcing the championship races of several televised Ford-Aurora slot car championships in the 1960s. Moss was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2011 during qualifying for the Le Mans Legends race, Moss announced on Radio Le Mans that he had finally retired from racing, saying that he had scared himself that afternoon. He was 81. He died April 12, 2020 at the age of 90 in Mayfair, London, England.
This is a 1958 photograph of Stirling Moss.
