Max Adventure to recreate Stirling Moss' record drive of 1952

28th Jul 2009

The Max Adventure team are to recreate a historic drive by Stirling Moss as part of their ‘warm-up’ training to the London to Cape Town run.

Back in December 1952, at the same time as George Hinchliffe was battling his way across Africa to establish yet another new record to Cape Town, Stirling Moss and three co-drivers left Norway in an attempt to visit 15 countries in five days before arriving in Portugal.

The Max Adventure team’s challenge will be huge, even though they will be using modern vehicles, fitted with much more economical engines allowing greater fuel ranges. Speed limits will hinder their progress and the amount of traffic on the roads is probably ten-times that of 50 years ago.

More remarkably though, was that Stirling Moss and his team didn’t complete the 3,280 mile journey in five days, but in under four - 89 hours and 59 minutes!

Extract from Modern Motoring & Travel – February 1953

”Fifteen Countries in Five days” was bettered by 30 hours!

Epic Oslo – Lisbon non-stop drive

The object? To give proof positive if any be necessary, to the all-round road worthiness of the new Humber Super Snipe with its remarkable “Blue Riband” power unit.

As Sir Reginald Rootes said at a Press Conference prior to the start, “There are those who would question the purpose, even the sanity of an exploit of the kind, particularly at this time of the year.”

“To these I would reply, it is to give practical demonstration, beyond all possible doubt, of our faith in the product, our confidence in a car designed and built for world-wide usage and this in relation to every variety of terrain and under all climatic conditions, as well as our trust in the drivers.”

So it was – at Oslo, at below freezing point, the start was made at 02:00 hours on Tuesday, December 2.

Conditions worsened all the way through Sweden and Denmark and Germany – icy and fogbound roads, even blizzards – yet the set average of 40mph was rigidly maintained.

Not until they reached Holland and Belgium did conditions show any improvement – if sheet ice and crystallised pavé is any improvement! – to press on across France for Switzerland (the half-way point) and Italy, where progress was still maintained in spite of the now appalling conditions in the snow-covered passes, and so on for Trieste and Yugoslavia.

Due west again the prospects of sunnier climes did perhaps inspire brighter thoughts, though eating up the miles was necessarily the more imperative condition of mind. For still arduous going was ahead, the mountains and dust of Southern France, the endless snake-like, rise-and-fall going in the valleys of the Pyrenees en route to Spain, the last leg to the Portuguese border at Villar Formoso and thence to Lisbon.

Fifteen countries in five days was the target set, or 3,280 miles at an average speed of just under 40mph.

Well, something attempted something done and done well, with no fewer than 30 hours knocked off the basic time schedule – actual running time being one minute under 90 hours – plus a faultless performance throughout.

A grand show, and one deserving the highest possible commendation.

The best of congratulations, therefore to the drivers – Stirling Moss, Leslie Johnson, John Cutts and David Humphrey in upholding, in determined and outstanding manner, the sponsors’ convictions placed both in them and the new Humber Super Snipe.