Motorsport: Moss and Maserati meet again

Sir Stirling Moss with the Maserati 250F in which he won the 1956 Melbourne Grand Prix.

Two motorsport legends were reunited at the Melbourne Grand Prix when Sir Stirling Moss and the Maserati 250F in which he won the 1956 Melbourne Grand Prix were brought together to open the city's new Ferrari and Maserati dealership.

The driver and the car came together in 1956 in Albert Park for one of the greatest Formula One races.

Although total production of the Maserati 250F was just 26 cars, it was the backbone of the Formula One championship from 1954 to 1960, when it made its last appearance in a Formula One event.

That's a long life for a racing car. Cars raced today usually have just a 12-month life.

Powered by a 2.5-litre straight-six cylinder engine, power output rose from 180kW (240bhp) to 210kW (280bhp) during its lifetime, sufficient to provide the 630kg car with a top speed of over 290km/h (180bhp). Later versions were powered by 2.5-litre V12 with 230kW (310bhp).

Aside from the race in Melbourne, perhaps the most famous race for the Maserati 250F was in the 1957 German Grand Prix at Nurburgring.

In the middle of the race, Juan Fangio was trailing the Ferraris of Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins.

After a pitstop he set off in pursuit and over the following 22 laps of what is probably the most difficult Grand Prix track in the world, Fangio reeled in the Ferraris broke the lap record 10 times.

The place of the Maserati 250F in racing history has been secured not just by its success or its performance, but also by the fact that during the 1950s it was the epitome of a Formula One car, especially when it was bright red.

Sir Stirling is recognised as the greatest driver never to win the world championship.

He began his racing career hill-climbing in a Cooper 500 in 1948 at the age of 18. In 1955 he was signed by Mercedes-Benz to partner world champion Fangio.

That year Sir Stirling shadowed the great Argentinian in most Grands Prix, and beat him to win the British GP.

Also that year he won sports car races the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio and the Tourist Trophy.

In the late 50s and early 60s he led the changeover to rear-engined Formula One cars, achieving the first victory for such a car at the 1958 Argentine GP.

A near-fatal accident ended it all in 1962.

One of the original jet-setters, Sir Stirling still dashes round the world fulfilling engagements and competing in historic racing.