Tribute to late racing legend Peter Collins benefits primary school

The event, named 'Peter Collins - Coming Home', was held at Trimpley Village Hall and attended by sixty guests, including Collins' family members.

Highlights of the afternoon included a talk by Chris Price on Collins' sporting prowess and a buffet at The Bellmans Cross, Shatterford.

Headteacher Louise Low of Upper Arley C of E Primary School gratefully received the donation.

Collins was born in 1931 in Mustow Green, and alongside Stirling Moss and Mike Hawthorn, he was one of the three British golden boys of 1950s motor racing.

He was offered a place in the 1956 Ferrari F1 team, a lineup which included World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio.

Collins could have been Britain’s first Formula 1 World Champion in 1956 but, in the days when drivers could change cars during a race, he stopped in the last race of the season, the Italian Grand Prix in Monza and gave his car to Fangio, when the Argentinian’s car suffered mechanical problems.

Louise Low, with Chris Holford and Chris Price (Image: Upper Arley C of E Primary School)

It prevented Collins from winning the world title and allowed Fangio to claim his fourth title.

Sadly, Collins died less than two years later, at the age of 26, following a fatal crash during the 1958 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring.

The pupils discovered more about Collins, including his extraordinary display of sportsmanship when he gifted his racing car to team leader Juan Manuel Fangio mid-race.

Plans are in place to invest the funds in new library books and an outdoor bench for the reflection area.

Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum is presently hosting an exhibition honouring the life and career of Collins.

The exhibition features personal items such as Collins' racing helmet and gloves, original photographs and letters, as well as sharing his remarkable story.