July 2007

This month's Grand Prix stamp issue from Royal Mail marks two key anniversaries in British motorsport: the centenary of Brooklands, the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit; and fifty years since Sir Stirling Moss won his second British Grand Prix.

First race at Brooklands - 6 July 1907
Back in the summer of 1906, Hugh Locke-King had attended both the Italian Targa Florio and the French Grand Prix. Both races were run on public roads with the approval of the authorities. Neither event contained a British car, and Locke-King was concerned that British drivers had no chance of gaining racing experience at home. Britain's roads had a 20 miles per hour speed limit (this was to remain in force until 1930) so an off-road track was sorely needed.

Locke-King held a meeting of motoring enthusiasts in Weybridge in September 1906. The result was that Locke-King volunteered to build - at his own expense and on his own land - the world's first purpose-built motor-racing track. 

The plans quickly grew in scope: for cars to reach the highest possible speeds, the circuit would need to be provided with two huge banked sections nearly 30 feet high. There would also be two long straights, bringing the total length of the track to three and a quarter miles.

On 17 June 1907 the still unfinished Brooklands Motor Course was first opened. The first official race took place on 6 July 1907, and this is the centenary celebrated by Royal Mail. Hugh Locke-King had spent a personal fortune of £150,000, easily several millions of pounds today.

Stirling Moss wins the British GP - 20 July 1957
Sir Stirling Moss is widely considered to be the greatest driver never to win the Formula 1 world championship. His ability to win races in the widest variety of cars has made him a living legend. Moss joined the Mercedes F1 team in 1955 to partner the great Juan Manuel Fangio. Moss beat Fangio at the 1955 British Grand Prix, and then won the race again on 20 July 1957 in a Vanwall.

These stamps are from the British Land Speed Record Holders issue from September 1998.

20 pence stamp: Sir Malcom Campbell, 151mph in 1925

26 pence stamp - Sir Henry Seagrave, 152mph in 1926

30 pence stamp - J G Parry-Thomas, 171mph in 1926

43 pence stamp - John Cobb, 394mph in 1947

63 pence stamp - Malcolm Campbell, 403mph in 1964

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