Racing Drivers Amongst the Girls

Having seen Stirling Moss present, at the Lyceum, the keys of an Austin-Healey Sprite to ” Miss World 1958,” a charming South African girl in an eyeable bathing suit—she had won the car and a substantial money prize,–we then discovered that, not to be outdone. Mike Hawthorn, the ” Driver of the Year,” abetted by someone called Eamonn Andrews, had been along to the Mayfairia Rooms to elect ” Miss Triumph-1958.” Whereas Moss was judging mostly students, who presumably aspire to becoming professional models or beauty-queens, Hawthorn had to be content with ladies who either own Triumph TRs or have fathers, boy-friends or fianees who do so, and we do not think they paraded in swimsuits. However, while we do not have the address of “Miss World-1958,” the Standard Motor Co. Ltd. have announced that Miss Sheila Lunnon who was elected “Miss Triumph-1958” from fifteen finalists, lives at 64. Gladstone Road. Watford, Herts. She is a young lady with an urchin cut and a smile very similar to Eamonn’s, will be on the Triumph Stand (No. 135) at Earls Court and is to represent the T.S.O.A. at functions all over the country for the next twelve months. Readers living farther west than Hertfordshire may like to note that the runner-up was Miss Eileen James of White Croft. Wesley Road, Lydney, Glos.

It was nice to hear “Miss World” tell Moss she can drive. Whether the fact that she has been given a Sprite will help to Sell Austin-Healeys is a publicity agent’s problem. But we hope she will love and cherish this Sprite, in contrast to the correspondent to an American motor journal who considers that the front-end of this little car exemplifies the old saw that if you leave an Englishman alone long enough with a piece of sheet metal, he is bound to do something silly with it and that the present frontal aspect of the Sprite (unlike ” Miss World’s “) ” isn’t worth much except to throw gravel at.”