Sir Stirling Moss may be in plaster, but he certainly has not stopped being active! He just bought a Porsche RS-61 Spyder by proxy at the Gooding auction at the Amelia Island Concours. He paid roughly $1.7mm US for the car. It was partially described in a press release as:

"Between 1961 and1963, this car captured more than a dozen victories in the hands of numerous significant racing figures. Gooding & Company said it was honored to have sold it to one of the world’s most influential and talented race car drivers, who is also a friend and regular client of the auction house. " etc., etc.

Now my question is, just which car is this and who are the "numerous significant racing figures." who drove the car? Why do auction companies seemingly find it obligatory to gush over cars without ever giving any particulars? Just drives one nuts!

Anybody out there know which and who?

Tom

Everything here on The Man´s webpage :
http://www.stirlingmoss.com/articles/news/...d-porsche-rs-61

Ralf

One of only fourteen RS61s built; ex-Bob Holbert, Thomas Payne and Millard Ripley carries strong US racing history with 13 wins and 20 podiums in SCCA National competition; one of the few RS60/61s with original bodywork.

Stirling must be expecting a good result from his claim......................

Thanks a lot fellows! That answers my questions.

The former Tom Payne car; I saw that car run three times in 1961. Payne must have bought it new, as it was an RS-61 and he ran it from early in the year on. His car came with the 1500cc engine and ran in SCCA class FM. Payne won the SCCA Class FM National Championship in the car in 1961. It was painted red with yellow trim, including cross-wise stripes on the bonnet.

I never saw Payne lose his class that year. I witnessed the Road America June Sprints, ninth overall, first in class; Meadowdale SCCA National, eleventh overall, first in class; and the Road America 500, sixth overall, first in class. Payne went on to a bit of fame as one of the works Cobra drivers in the following years. I believe he was a partner with Dan Gerber in Gerber-Payne Ford of Fremont, Mich.

Bob Holbert won a number of races in subsequent years in the Porsche RS-61, even while he was a works Cobra driver. I saw him finish fourth overall, second in class EM, at the Meadowdale SCCA National in 1963 in what Martin Krejci reports to be 048, whereas the Moss car is said to be 070.

Tom

Here's what Racing Sports Cars has on 070 and 048:

http://www.racingsportscars.com/chassis/results/718-070.html

http://www.racingsportscars.com/chassis/photo/718-070.html

http://www.racingsportscars.com/chassis/results/718-048.html

http://www.racingsportscars.com/chassis/photo/718-048.html

Vince H.

Tom:

Was Tom Payne resplendant in shirt, tie and sport coat at the helm of his RS61? I seem to recall this being his 'trademark' and seeing a photo of him in his Cobra at Mosport so dressed.

And speaking of those two cars, talk about opposite ends of the spectrum!

Seriously?

Not that it's really any of our business where he gets his money from, or what he chooses to spend it on, but Sir Stirling's a renowned property investor in London. Has been for years.

http://www.stirlingmoss.com/articles/news/...s-grand-designs

If anything, his recent accident might merely have created in him a renewed sense of his own mortality and the realisation that there's no point in being "the richest guy in the graveyard" so he's decided to treat himself. Good on him.

Thank you. That is what I was initially interested in. Apologies if my intended lighthearted take on events may have offended anyone. I am sure Sir Stirling wouldn't have minded, no doubt being of the 'tough stuff'. Please accept my sincere apologies. I am as interested in the lives of racers post 'the action-part' of their career as I am their achievements on the track, the whole picture as it were.

Thanks, Vince. Where my thinking had gone astray is that I thought Payne bought the car new and then it went to Holbert, whereas the opposite is true. I knew that there was a lot of info available on that site, but must confess I was not aware of the chassis history feature. Learn something new every day!



Manfred, I went back and checked my photos of Payne in 1961. In all three races he was wearing a red driving suit with red helmet. But you are right about the suit and tie. I have seen photos of him so attired also.

Tom

I have seen Mr. Payne in person, driving with the suit and tie - may have been at St. Jovite? I think at some point it was forbidden to do so - driving suit was necessary.

Robert Barg

I wonder, just off hand, if Payne did that just in Canada, different sanctioning body rules and all that. I have seen photos such as what Manfred mentions with him attired so, but never in the US.

Since my earlier post I have gone back and looked at my photos of Payne driving Cobras in 1963, 64, and 65, at Road America, Lynndale Farms, Meadowdale, and Bridgehampton. In '63 he is wearing the red suit and helmet such as he wore in 1961 when he was driving a (the now Sir Stirling Moss) Porsche. In the 1964 shots he appears to be wearing a white driving suit, while in 1965 is seems to be a light blue Dunlop suit, such as everyone wore in those days.

Since all my photos over those years appear to show him in a driving suit, the question arises in my mind; might the Canadian rules have been different, and Payne wore a suit and tie once or twice at Mosport and/or Ste. Jovite just for the heck of it?

Tom

Manfred:

My research for Shelby Cars in Detail, which included a Tom Payne racing Cobra, showed that he evidently first wore a coat and tie because his Cobra showed up late at Mosport, and there was no time to change into a driver's suit. It was such a hit that he repeated the trick, but only in Canada. SCCA wouldn't let him do so in the US.

Frank

As ever, TNF proves to be the authoritive source for information. Thanks everyone!

Sorry for kinda highjacking the Moss/RS61 topic.