500-cc

This year marks the 60th anni-versary of the British 500-cc movement, a category which became the first Formula 3. It produced the likes of Stirling Moss and Cooper cars, but that was incidental. The remarkable thing was that it grew out of a letter to a magazine.

When the war ended, mainland Britain did not even have a single circuit, which is a bit of a handicap when it comes to staging races. In fact, a race meeting was held in Germany before one was held on the British mainland. After six years of war, people were looking for a better future, and motor racing was a part of it. Vast numbers of men had returned to civilian life having been taught motor mechanics and how to drive and many had also experienced some excitement.