Peter Collins (racing driver)

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Peter Collins (racing driver) bigraphy, stories - British racing driver

Peter Collins (racing driver) : biography

6 November 1931 – 3 August 1958

Peter John Collins (6 November 1931 – 3 August 1958) was a Formula One driver from England. He participated in 35 World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 18 May 1952. He won 3 races, achieved 9 podiums, and scored a total of 47 championship points.

Rivalry with Luigi Musso

Many years after the death of Peter Collins, Fiamma Breschi, Luigi Musso’s girlfriend at the time of his death, revealed the nature of the rivalry between Collins and Hawthorn with fellow Ferrari driver Musso in a television documentary, The Secret Life of Enzo Ferrari. Breschi recalled that the antagonism between Musso and the two English drivers encouraged all three to take more risks:

"The Englishmen (Hawthorn and Collins) had an agreement," she says. "Whichever of them won, they would share the winnings equally. It was the two of them against Luigi, who was not part of the agreement. Strength comes in numbers, and they were united against him. This antagonism was actually favourable rather than damaging to Ferrari. The faster the drivers went, the more likely it was that a Ferrari would win." Williams, Richard, Richard Williams Talks to Fiamma Breschi, the Woman Behind Enzo Ferrari, The Guardian, 22 January 2004

Early life and racing career

Peter Collins was born on 6 November 1931. He grew up in Mustow Green, on the south side of Kidderminster in Worcestershire, United Kingdom. The son of a motor garage owner and haulage merchant, Collins became interested in motor vehicles at a young age. At 16 he was expelled from school after having been caught riding ‘dodgem’ cars at a local fairground during school hours. Becoming an apprentice in his father’s garage, he soon began competing in local trials races.

In common with many British drivers of the immediate post-war period, Collins cut his racing teeth in the frenetic 500cc category (adopted as Formula 3 at the end of 1950), when his parents bought him a Cooper 500 from the fledgling Cooper Car Company. These small machines, powered by motorcycle engines, were also the proving ground of many of Collins’ F1 contemporaries, notably including Stirling Moss.

Complete World Championship Formula One results

(key; * shared drive)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WDC Points
1952 HW Motors HWM 52 Alta SUIRet 500 BELRet FRA6 GBRRet GERDNS NED ITADNQ NC 0
1953 HW Motors HWM 53 Alta ARG 500 NED8 BELRet FRA13 GBRRet GER SUI ITA NC 0
1954 G A Vandervell Vanwall Special Vanwall ARG 500 BEL FRA GBRRet GER SUI ITA7 ESPDNS NC 0
1955 Owen Racing Organisation Maserati 250F Maserati ARG MON 500 BEL NED GBRRet NC 0
Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 250F Maserati ITARet
1956 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 555 Ferrari ARGRet 3rd 25
Lancia-Ferrari D50 Ferrari MON2* 500 BEL1 FRA1 GBR2 * GERRet * ITA2 *
1957 Scuderia Ferrari Lancia-Ferrari D50 Ferrari ARG6 * 9th 8
Ferrari 801 Ferrari MONRet 500 FRA3 GBR4 * GER3 PES ITARet
1958 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Dino 246 Ferrari ARGRet MON3 NEDRet 500 BELRet FRA5 GBR1 GERRet POR ITA MOR 5th 14