Peter Collins

Peter Collins was one of a triumvirate of English drivers who were at the pinnacle of sports car and Formula 1 racing in the late 1950s. The other two were Mike Hawthorn and Stirling Moss. Collins married an American actress, the daughter of an assistant to United Nations' Secretary Dag Hammarskjold. He lived the life of a playboy and competed in virtually every F1 and sports car race prior to his untimely death in August 1958. He possessed an ingratiating, bubbly personality that endeared him to writers, women and auto racing people. He raced in a different era before race drivers had the full protection of a helmet visor. The older cars had their engines in the front and their sleek designs defy the passage of time with their elegant look.