London - Sir Stirling Moss has retired from public life at the age of 88, closing a chapter on one of British sport’s most enduring stories.
Moss will instead rest at home, spending time with his devoted wife Susie as he continues to fight the illness that has troubled him for more than a year.
Arguably the greatest all-round racing driver ever, Moss suffered a serious chest infection in Singapore at the end of 2016 and spent 134 days in hospital before returning to his gadget-themed, James Bond-style house in Mayfair in May 2017.
"Thrilled to be back," was his verdict at the time, though his progress since has been slow and patchy.
Sir Stirling and Lady Susie Moss
His son Elliott said for that reason "the decision has been made that the indefatigable man will finally retire, so that he and my mother can have some much-deserved rest and spend more time with each other and the rest of the family."
Elliott, posting an update on Moss’ eponymous website, added: "To all his many fans around the world, who use this website for regular updates, my father would like to announce that he will be closing it down.
"The entire and extended Moss clan thank everyone for all their love and support over the years and we wish you all a happy and prosperous 2018."
Moss’s fame has ranged through eight decades, even though he retired from professional racing after a terrible accident at Goodwood on Easter Monday 1962. By that time he had won 212 of his 529 races in virtually every sort of car around the world in 15 seasons from 1948.
Arguably the most recognisable photograph in motorsport: Stirling Moss and navigator Dennis Jenkinson after their epic win at the 1955 Mille Miglia.
A patriot, he routinely forewent better foreign cars to drive British machinery - an insistence that cost him the Formula One world titles that would assuredly have been his had he put victory ahead of country. Instead, he was world champion runner-up four times, with 16 Grand Prix wins.
Perhaps his finest drive came with victory at the 1955 Mille Miglia over the perilous open roads of Italy at the average speed of 157.65km/h. Forever known as Mr Motor Racing, he continued to race for fun until his retirement from motorsport in 2011, at the age of 81.
Now he faces a bigger fight, one he is waging with the love of his similarly indomitable Susie, with the gusto of the knight he is.