Last Blast: Mercedes drives famed 722 through London

Film is a tribute to Stirling Moss before the 300 SLR goes back into the Mercedes-Benz Museum

ByLarry Edsall - December 8, 2021

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR '722' on Westminster Bridge with the 'London Eye' ferris wheel in the background | Mercedes-Benz photos

Before returning the famed Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR “722” to its spot in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Germany, the automaker paid tribute to driver Stirling Moss by driving the car through London and parking it in front of the Moss home, where it was greeted by Moss’ widow, Suisie, and son, Elliot.

The 722, in which Stirling Moss and navigator Denis Jenkinson on the 1955 Mille Miglia race across Italy — and in a record time that still stands — has been on tour this year, visiting historic venues around the globe.

Before its return to the museum, Mercedes decided to do The Last Blast, filming a drive through London to the Moss home in tribute to the driver who died in 2020 at the age of 90.

In announcing the film, and an accompanying “behind the scenes” clip, Mercedes shares this story:

“Who do you think you are? Stirling Moss?” This, so the story goes, is what a policeman asked the legendary British racing driver following a particularly “daring” overtaking maneuver on the streets of London. 

“Yes sir, I am” was the honest reply.

There’s a nod to this legendary tale – and a number of other aspects of Moss’s life and career – in The Last Blast, a new short film by Mercedes-Benz Classic. A police motorcycle outrider admonishes the over-enthusiastic driver of the very Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR made famous by Moss’s win in the 1955 Mille Miglia race. As the camera zooms in on the front wing of the bike, we see a sticker bearing the famous question.”

Pre-dawn prep of the 722 and of Moss’ personal 300 SL, which also appears in ‘The Last Blast’

Police motorcycles wear ‘Who do you think you are, Stirling Moss’ stickers

Greeted by Elliot Moss at the Moss home

Filming was done in late September. The car arrives at the home where Moss lived for more than 60 years. 

“The starting point of the drive, very early one Sunday morning, is The Temple,” Mercedes points out. “It then takes in the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, the Royal Automobile Club and the The Ritz hotel. On the way, ‘722’ passes what was Sir Stirling’s very own 300 SL Gullwing – the car in which he travelled from London to the Mille Miglia in 1955. Its drive through the city ends in front of Moss’s own home in a Mayfair mews. 

“There, his son, Elliot Moss, stands in front of the door and looks at the watch on his wrist, which his father wore for many years. It’s exactly 7:22 a.m., the original start time of Moss and Jenkinson’s Mille Miglia entry and the reason for the car’s racing number. The 300 SLR rolls to a halt one final time, and its engine is switched off.”

The automaker adds, “This is Mercedes-Benz Classic’s tribute and thanks to Sir Stirling Moss who dedicated decades of service to the brand. And also to his family, for the unwavering support they showed him, and for their personal involvement in this very special film project.”

Article Courtesy of Classiccars.com