It’s one of the greatest victories in racing history. And thanks to the man in the passenger seat, it also resulted in the finest piece of motor racing journalism we have ever published.

Stirling Moss’s 1955 Mille Miglia win, in the supreme Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR set an average speed record for the epic race, which will never be broken. Alongside him was Denis Jenkinson in the relatively novel position of navigator, his innovative ‘toilet roll’ contraption containing meticulous pace notes on the 1000-mile route.

Thanks to his historic report, we can relive the intense atmosphere of the No722’s cockpit, but also appreciate the collaboration that brought such success, as Jenks tells of the diligent recce runs ahead of the race; the systems invented to communicate at high speed; and the friendship between two racing heroes: one somewhat more unlikely than the other.

Read the full story, from the original report to our 70th anniversary retrospective below.

The races they didn’t win

“Quit while you’re ahead” is a mantra that neither Moss nor Jenks took to heart

The 1955 win heralded two attempts by the Moss and Jenks to repeat their success with Maserati. Both ended in spectacular failure: in 1956 they came close to tragedy when the wheels locked: a lone tree was all that prevented them plummeting down a 300ft slope. A year later — in the final competitive Mille Miglia — they lasted seven-and-a-half miles before retiring with a snapped brake pedal on their Maserati 450S.

Read both dramatic accounts below:

A final blast for the Mille Miglia-winning 300 SLR