Peter Miller
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PETER MILLERPeter Miller first became interested in Motor Racing in the 1950s.When he worked for a newspaper in Nice, France, became friends with Jean Behra and saw the round the houses race there.. The following year he saw the Swiss Grand Prix on the Brernharten ciruit at Berne, won in a blinding rain-storm by Fangio's Alfa Romeo.On his return to England from Switzerland, Peter joined Sunbeams international rally team. He made his debut in the 1952 Monte Carlo Rally and raced at Silverstone for the first time in July 1952. He won the Coupes des Alpes on the 1953 Alpine rally with American John Fitch but crashed heavily with Peter Harper in 1954 when their Sunbeam broke a front-right sub-axle descending the notorious Pardoi pas on the Coppa Dolomiti race and the wreak plunged 400 feet into the river below.In 1954 Peter joined the Aston Martin team as assistant racing manager adn took over as racing manager in 1956, traveling all over the world with this leading racing team. The drivers included Peter Collins, Stirling Moss, Reg Parnell, Tony Brooks, Roy Salvadori, Peter Walker and others. He lived in America from 1957-60 where he raced sports cars in many SCCA events in Florida, six other southern states and in New York state. Since his return to England Peter Miller has been a successful journalist, author, press and public relations consultant. He is married to Angela with a son Nicholas and a daughter Sophia.
In September 1988 Peter Miller's Biography of Conte Aymo Maggi the count of Calino and Grandella was published for the first time by Alan Sutton of Gloucester and the extraordinary life of the Italian nobleman and racing driver was unfolded by an English driver, team manager and journalist who knew the count and the countess extremely well. The work was published simultaneously in the United States where it received high critical acclaim among racing aficionados. At the time, it was Peters fifth book on Motor sport.Peters books give an insiders look at the heady atmosphere surrounding the Racing elite, like a passport into some forbidden realm they present a first hand account of what it was really like to be there and participate. He has gleaned an intimate knowledge of the people and places about which he writes so fluently. He has, for example, been a close friend of Stirling Moss since they first met at the circuit of lake Garda in 1950 and in 1953 Peter's factory entered Sunbeam Talbot Alpine Sports -No 510- ran just 3 minutes Stirlings similar car No-507 when both cars won a coveted Coupe des Alpes on the tough alpine rally with no penalties-and little sleep- in 4 days!When Stirling won the 1955 Mille Miglia in record time he later said:"To me the Mille Miglia was the worlds finest road race of them all but although I loved it I was always afraid of taking part." Afraid because I was never able to really learn the circuit and afraid because of the very high speeds we were getting.
Commendatore Enzo Ferrari the fabled and talented driver, manager of the Alfa Romeo team and owner of the name which is now part of motor racing's folklore said, "No driver could ever say that he had achieved his victor's laurels if he had not won at Brescia"
Peter Miller (in cap) in the Bentley team as co-driver in the 1995 Mille Miglia. Sponsored by Rolls Royce hence the 1926 6.5 liter Bentley. Here the car enters the town of Fernara in heavy rain. They safely completed three day 1000 mile race in excellent condition finishing second of the six Bentleys competing in the official team.
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