1955 October

Even though Mercedes had had a fantastic season with the 300 SLR sports racers, it seemed unlikely that Mercedes could win the Sports Car World Championship with just one round to go. However, Team Manager Neubauer was determined to try and managed to persuade his directors to allow the team to contest the uniquely challenging ancient Targa Florio in Sicily. Thus they needed a strong line-up of drivers because they needed to finish first and second to take Championship honours.

The redoubtable Neubauer asked Stirling with whom he would like to share a 300 SLR and also for him and Ken Gregory to suggest another driver. Stirling had no hesitation about choosing Peter Collins, provided he could be released by Aston Martin. He and Ken came up with a driver who had impressed them at Dundrod. Desmond Titterington, a native of Belfast, had shown great skill and determination and was to prove another sound choice. Together with Fangio from the Argentine, genial American John Fitch and just one German, Karl Kling, it was certainly a very international line-up.

On the day of the race Stirling was up at 5am “after my worst night ever. 1 ½ hours sleep”.

The Targa Florio was a perilous race totalling 580 miles with nearly 900 bends to every lap. It took Stirling several days to learn, in heavy rain. He was the pace setter of the Mercedes team and on his second lap clocked the first ever average of 100km/h. After three laps, he had a five minute lead. “Then, wham! I had just come round a right curve and was negotiating a fast left, when I lost control; the car swung its tail out, hit a bank and then bounced off and made straight for a precipice. Luckily it turned out to be only a 10 – 12 foot drop and the car landed with a heavy thump. Much fear.”

With the locals helping, Stirling managed to get the car back on to the road and headed back for the pits. Peter Collins took over the battered car and also drove brilliantly. After five laps, they were back up to third. Stirling took over again and just went quicker and quicker to win an amazing race by more than four minutes.

With Fangio and Kling finishing second, Stirling and Pete had won the World Sports Car Championship for Mercedes.

Just over a week later Stirling attended a Mercedes reception at which they announced, out of the blue, that they were pulling out of motor racing altogether. Stirling was out of a job!

Just to compound matters, Stirling then became ill and had a couple of days in bed as a result. The BBC Sportsview programme visited and filmed him in bed!