The famed streets of Monte Carlo have witnessed some of Formula 1’s greatest drives to victory but regarded as the best of them all at Monaco is Stirling Moss’s run to the chequered flag in 1961.

Rob Walker was a true privateer, paying for his racing largely out of his own pocket. As a result, he was often waiting in line for the latest machinery to be made available to him after the Works teams. It could not have been more blatant at the beginning of the 1961 season, Moss hopping into a boxy Lotus 18 whilst Jim Clark had use of a brand new Lotus 21 wearing sleek lowline bodywork.

Winning at Monaco is an incredible challenge. Pole position is more important than at any other venue, and then the race was run for 100 laps, taking nearly three hours, providing a challenge of skill and survival for both man and machine. The trophy for the race is remarkable, not just for the race it was the prize for, but the fact that the object itself has a history. According to hallmarks, this stunning trophy is a monteith by famous London silversmiths, Garrard & Co. produced in 1881. A monteith was originally a bowl designed to cool glasses, but with the rise of popularity of champagne, they were used to cool the bottle as well. This monteith has been appropriately engraved with the dual cypher of Prince Rainier III and Grace of Monaco.

The 1961 Monaco Grand Prix marked the first race of the 1.5-Litre era of Formula 1. Cooper, Ferrari and Lotus all fielded new cars, specifically designed for the new rules, with Ferrari’s 'Sharknose' 156 looking the most potent. Moss’ Lotus 18 was adapted with a new 1.5-litre Climax engine but was essentially an outdated car.

Part of Moss’ genius was his ability to almost revel in not having mechanical superiority over his rivals, allowing him to demonstrate his otherworldly skills. In 1961, Moss was arguably at the peak of his career in terms of his experience and driving ability. He duly demonstrated this by taking pole position for the first race of the new era.

As the race got underway, the superior power of the Ferrari catapulted Richie Ginther into the lead and Jim Clark made an excellent start as well. Not discouraged, Moss gave chase and was in the lead by lap 14. Once Moss had a clear road ahead he kept his head down and ultimately produced a lap-by-lap qualifying performance for the remainder of the race. By the fall of the chequered flag, Moss had beaten his own pole time by 2.8 seconds, a time that could only be matched by the chasing Ginther in the far superior Ferrari.

This victory is regarded by many as Moss’s greatest in a Grand Prix car. Award to Moss by the royal Monegasque couple, this incredible trophy has remained in the Walker family since that Spring day in 1961. Until last year, a Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix trophy had never been publicly available before, so this opportunity may well turn out to be unrepeatable.