Pat Moss: December 27, 1934 – October 14, 2008

Well shoot, first Phil Hill, then Paul Newman, and now Pat Moss.

Who’s Pat Moss, you ask?

Not to worry, a lot of people don’t remember who she is these days, but I do.

Before there was Danica, before there was Janet Guthrie, hell, before there was the great Michelle Muton, there was Pat Moss.

For starters, she was gifted with great driving genes. You’ve probably heard of her brother, Stirling Moss. You know, “the greatest driver to never win the world championship.” The guy that absolutely CRUSHED the opposition in the 1955 Mille Miglia.

THAT Stirling Moss? .. and Pat was no slouch herself.

Check out that picture.

That’s Pat Moss competing in and WINNING the Monte Carlo Rally.

Now, I’ve rallied myself, and even today, safety is kind of a nice thought … but back then?! On snow and ice and places like St-Bonnet Le Froid?! No. No way. I’d die. You’d die. Hell, it’s a wonder they don’t die like fruit flies.

But back int he 50s and 60s?

And a GIRL doing it?

She wold have been deluged in macho chauvinistic crap except she did the thing that shuts your critics up better than anything else: She won.

Oh yeah, and extra cool gearhead bonus points? Pat Moss married Erik Carlsson. The Scandinavian who essentially invented the “crazily suicidal rally driver” persona.

She died after a long illness on October 14, 2008, aged 73, and you boys would be lucky to have a third of the balls she did.

Source: ClassicalDrives

Filed Under: Racing