The 1954 was a complex season with Juan Manuel Fangio being signed up for Mercedes but being free to drive for other teams until the cars were ready to race. Fangio won the first 2 races of the season, in a Maserati 250F, at Buenos Aires and Spa-Francorchamps; he then won a further 4 races in the Mercedes-Benz W196 to become World Champion by a clear margin. Unusually, the W196 was produced in open wheeled and streamlined versions, the latter being raced on the faster circuits.

Despite the late introduction the Mercedes W196 took 4 pole positions for the season and led for 376 laps versus Ferrari's 304, despite the German cars missing the first 2 races. Ross Wardle has produced artwork that compliments our 1955 cover, showing Juan Manuel Fangio crossing the line at Reims, finishing just 0.1 seconds ahead of his team mate, Karl Kling.

The second special has been signed by JIMMY STEWART who started racing by competing in hill-climb and scratch races in 1951-52, driving a Healey. In 1953 he raced C-type and XK120 Jaguars for Ecurie Ecosse, with great success. His only F1 race was in 1953, driving the Ecurie Ecosse Bristol-engined Cooper T20 in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. He was in sixth place and driving well, but spun out. He continued to build a reputation as a very fast and fearless driver by winning three races at Goodwood in 1954, driving the Jaguar C-type.

An accident at Le Mans later that year resulted in a broken elbow and a premature end to his season. He returned in 1955 but was badly injured in a major crash, practicing for a sports car race at Silverstone; his injuries forced his early retirement. His younger brother Jackie took up racing and became a triple World Champion; with better luck, Jimmy Stewart would no doubt have achieved much more